


In Faith Of the Angel

by IeshaFox



Series: Descendants of Light [2]
Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 15:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 42,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4751591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IeshaFox/pseuds/IeshaFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war between Light and Dark is done, for now, and the Demons' been sealed in the Void, a prison for everything dark, and evil. The world, Earth II, is flourishing with a brand new start, and Kirae Fox, a girl of special use to the group devoted to the Angel, is found with a choice between a normal future, or helping the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Endless Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years ago, the Angel of Light, and the Demon, her foe, fought in the night that never ended. The result of the past is the present, and the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, just thought I'd say a quick apology:  
> I've been a little MIA for a bit. School's been really hectic, and it's been difficult on my Writer's Block. Hopefully, with the school year ending soon, I'll get a little more time to write.

The skies were dark with stars, the  
stars of corruption, the moon, a  
silvery orb hanging high above the  
Earth.  
The winds were brisk, and cold,  
and the air stung Kir Drate's  
skin, the dark taint of Kalias,  
and his demonic minions, attempting  
to seep into her flesh.  
Speak of the Demon himself,  
Kir Drate thought as the air  
nearby rustled.  
"You're out late, Angel,"  
the man cloaked in darkness remarked.  
His nickname for her, Angel, was  
one of many, this used most often.  
"And you're out early," she  
fired back. "It's not quite  
midnight, don't you realize?"  
"What," the demon chuckled.  
"I can't come and visit a good friend?"  
Kir Drate barely noticed  
the malicious glint in the Demon's  
eye before another gleam caught her  
attention.  
A large projectile, almost  
an axe, slammed into her with force  
beyond its looks.  
She grunted as the blade slashed  
her shoulder, clattering to the ground  
beside her.  
Lance, her sword, was out in a  
flash of metal that barely  
penetrated into one of the blackest of  
nights in all the ages of Earth.  
A war was occurring, one of the  
lesser Great Wars to occur in the  
empire of Carusir, where man  
fought shadow, aiding women who also  
fought similar foes. And throughout  
the entirety of the war, the days were  
never the same. They were always darker,  
less, lively.  
It unnerved Kir Drate.  
Another blade flashed through the  
air, whistling just by her right ear,  
cutting off a strand of her long  
hair.  
She advanced, the sword that  
symbolized all that reflected her  
cause, Lance hummed in her hand,  
its blade whirring mechanically through  
the air.  
"You've grown weak over the  
millennia," Kalias said. "Even  
after my mother's death you still reap the  
world with your blasphemous words. And  
yet, you can't win. But," Kalias  
moved, the only indication, other than  
where his voice came from, the  
rustle of wind as he passed her.  
"You're not as strong as you used  
to be."  
"What are you talking about,"  
Kir Drate turned, meaning  
to keep her full attention on the  
mischievous demon.  
"You could have beaten me with my  
claws tearing at your body, and  
your hands tied behind your back."  
The Demon circled her, and  
she was sure to turn, following his  
movements.  
"Well, I guess I have no  
choice, but to fulfill what was  
meant to be done."  
The Demon launched himself at  
her, many blades extending, almost  
as if the Demon possessed many  
limbs to wield the many weapons.  
Lance swung sideways in a  
slashing motion that parried several  
of the opposing blades.  
They slid forward again stabbing at  
her, but Lance seemed to have a life  
of its own, preventing them from passing  
her defenses.  
A third, and fourth time they  
remained barred from her flesh. But,  
the fifth time two blades scored  
along her forearms.  
She grunted, and retreated, to the  
delight of the Demon.  
"You've just proven my point,  
Kir Drate, a small wound,  
and you're already retreating to lick  
your wounds like an injured dog," he  
added malice to the insult, and  
Kir Drate hissed.  
Even with the distance, Lance swiped  
outward at Kalias. She missed,  
and she cursed under her breath.  
You fool, she thought. You  
utter fool, keep your head!  
Kalias made her next swing  
easier, but he did not give her  
the chance to do so. His blades  
slashed outward, first one, then a  
second, a third, then a fourth,  
all attempting to break through her  
newly raised barrier of calm.  
Lance struck at each with skills  
beyond the abilities of other swords.  
If you keep yourself calm, Kir  
Drate thought. If you manage  
to keep calm, you could actually  
pull this off.  
Kir Drate was thankful for the  
skills of her sword. Without it,  
she would have been dead ten times over  
before this night had come.  
The sword that Kir Drate,  
the girl often known as the Angel,  
wielded was said to have unnatural  
powers. Unlike other swords,  
this sword possessed the spirit of a  
Demon with a spirit of pure light.  
But, the tale of this Light Spirit  
was rather dark.  
Lance had once been a part of a  
Demon Army ready to march on the  
world, ready to kill every human that lived  
there.  
But, they had been stopped years  
ago, when their mistress, the infamous  
Demon Queen, was struck down,  
and locked in the Veil, the  
prison for all things evil that  
resided in the Void.  
Kir Drate had hardly  
noticed the change in the pace of the  
battle.  
Kalias stood back, his  
weapons held aloft, glancing  
curiously at Kir Drate, his  
head tilted.  
"What's the matter?" he asked,  
sneering at her.  
Then she noticed what had  
happened. Lance was not glowing  
anymore.  
She felt a small pulse of  
Energy flow through her body, as if  
the sword was communicating. And as the  
pulse came to her, the sword also  
pulsed with the same small, short  
burst of power.  
This was the way that Lance and  
Kir Drate could talk between each  
other. And this was the way that Kir  
Drate could understand the sword,  
through bursts of energy pulsed through the  
blade and into her.  
The message was simple:  
My enemy is present.  
Kir Drate nodded understandingly,  
and held Lance across her body  
protectively.  
I fear for you, mistress.  
Kir Drate waited for the glow  
of her sword to reappear, but it  
did not, so she sought to take action  
herself.  
She swung the blade as hard  
as she could muster, and the resounding crash  
rang through the night.  
Kir Drate staggered back as  
the sword wreathed in darkness,  
wielded by her foe, seemed to strike  
at her internally, her blood  
chilling, then burning within her body.  
The blades stayed connected, as  
if stuck by a magnet, the blade  
of light, and the blade of darkness  
almost intertwined in an internal  
duel. A duel Kir Drate  
could feel, would be a loss on her  
end.  
The attack seemed relentless,  
and Kir Drate could tell she was  
losing the battle.  
She felt herself flying through the  
air, weightless as she was sent  
away, crashing into a shadowy tree.  
All she could hear now, was a  
disembodied laugh echoing through her  
mind.  
Foolish girl.  
She had to win this, she just had to.  
Standing once more, legs wobbling,  
she stepped forward once more.  
"Well, it seems you have  
acquired Alcatraz. Where did  
you find him?" Kir Drate asked,  
her voice surprisingly strong  
after what she had just endured.  
But, Kalias, his gaze cold,  
did not respond.  
Invigorated by some unseen force,  
the Angel of Light raced forward,  
Lance held at the ready. As she  
drew close, she leaped into the air,  
and swung the blade down as if it  
were an axe.  
The resulting clash lasted for  
what seemed an eternity, a flash  
of metal that barely reflected into the  
night, the night where light barely  
penetrated. Each blow she struck  
at hg foe felt as if she were  
cutting at her own flesh, and in a  
way, she was.  
Finally, she fell back, badly  
weakened.  
As she prepared for a final  
assault, the answer to how this could  
end came to her.  
Mistress, I can sense a  
crack in the Rift. Someone has  
opened the Veil!  
The Veil, the curtain that  
covered the Rift, keeping it  
closed. The Rift, however, was  
an endless beam of Energy, mixed  
light and dark, a stream that flowed  
between this world, and the others.  
Kir Drate's plan began  
to form immediately.  
If she could manage it, she  
could push her enemy, Kalias, with  
his condemning sword, into the Void,  
the place that held the most evil  
of people, Demons, humans, and other  
creatures. If this could be  
accomplished, the Rift would  
probably close behind him, and  
imprison him. But, there was one  
problem to this plan.  
His prison would not hold forever.  
But, you have to give it a try,  
mistress, Lance pulsed.  
If you've found this, Lance,  
Kir Drate thought, then  
Alcatraz has most definitely  
found it out too.  
But, as her sword's spirit had  
correctly stated, she had to try.  
Her mind made up, her  
strength returned, Kir Drate  
raced across the ground, toward her  
foe once more. And this time, she hoped  
to not give up.  
Metal struck metal once,  
twice, three times, and then a  
fourth, ringing across the seemingly barren  
landscape as Kir Drate fought  
futilely against Kalias, and the  
most evil sword of time,  
Alcatraz. Her attacks were  
vicious, and rapid, striking hard,  
And hardly letting her opponent  
recover.  
But, the damage she dealt to the  
Demon was nonexistent.  
Finally, she noticed the  
silvery light creeping across the  
ground and sky around them both, like a  
snake of light trapping them within  
its coils.  
This was it. The pinnacle of their  
fight.  
And Kir Drate knew it was now  
or never.  
She struck once more, her  
onslaught renewed, her life  
on the line this time.  
STRIKE after strike passed  
through the seconds, and the two  
fighters came to stand on a  
precipice of pure light energy.  
Grunting with the force of  
Alcatraz's attacks, she  
feinted, slashing to the right, then  
quickly to the left once more,  
causing Kalias to step  
sideways, right into the light.  
Then, they were completely  
enveloped in the silvery light, and  
Alcatraz made one final stand.  
But, the attacks were futile, for  
Kir Drate was cloaked in light  
which provided protection from the tainted  
blows.  
All of a sudden, it was over, and  
she was the only person in the night,  
the sky filled with stars, and the moon  
hanging high above. She faintly  
saw, to the east, the glimmer of  
light, the first signs of dawn's  
approach.  
A new day would dawn, and in that  
day, she hoped for change. But, for  
now, she must retreat.  
She had sustained too many wounds,  
and she needed time to heal before taking on  
her foe again. Because, he would be  
back, and stronger than ever.  
She just had to be ready for his  
return.


	2. Dawn Of Prophecy

The years passed on the wind's  
breath, bringing Earth's second  
generation to the age of one young girl.  
Kirae Fox had been  
born with the special ability  
to control the Elements.  
The Angel, Kir Drate had  
once bestowed upon a select few  
humans the great Elemental Energy,  
and Kirae's ancestor  
Paiyndrei, had been a great  
user of the Energy.  
Kirae loved to use this Energy,  
even with its cost.  
And now?  
She ran through the fields near  
her family estate, the great house  
receding into the distance.  
Training always began with an early  
start, entering the Virtual Reality  
Chamber, and dueling her way to the  
top of the fortress that was erected.  
Then she was tested on running time.  
How? Well, her mother gave  
her a bracelet that tracked her  
position as she ran, how fast  
she ran, and kept track of time.  
She had a certain amount of time  
before she was teleported back to the  
house.  
This last bit was just a precaution,  
just in case she was to get lost.  
But, today, she felt something would  
be different. She couldn't quite put  
her finger on what it was, but, it was  
just an instinct feeling.  
"Well, let's get moving."  
she stated, putting on an incredible  
burst of speed, cresting a hill,  
and sprinting down its other side.  
Meanwhile, somewhere in the fields,  
a man and a woman stood, a net  
held before them. They both wore  
dark robes, and a blue cowl.  
"Can you say when she will arrive?"  
the man asked.  
"The vision did not say," his  
accomplice replied, adjusting her  
stance.  
"Bethany," ing man said, turning  
his gaze to her.  
Bethany, her grey eyes cast  
to the ground, autumn leaves rushing  
by, as if running from the two  
acolytes of Kir Drate's  
paladins.  
"I'm sorry, Kyren."  
Bethany said. "But, I'm not able  
to control the things I see, and how  
I see them."  
He nodded, just as the figure they  
awaited, reached the top of another  
hill.  
"Deploy, now." Kyren  
ordered, and the net seemed to unfold.  
Strings flew out of no where.  
Kirae leaped into the air in hopes  
of avoiding the odd obstacle, but they  
grabbed at her legs.  
Her hand quickly reached out,  
attempting to hit a button on the  
device. But, all she touched was  
flesh.  
What? No! That could not be!  
The device lay, beeping, on  
the ground feet away from Kirae  
flew through the air.  
"No!" she cried just before she  
slammed into the ground, and rolled  
to the side, tangling herself in the  
thick threads.  
Then darkness came over her,  
overwhelming her senses entirely.  
Kyren looked to Bethany as they  
prepared for the challenge ahead.  
"So, how are we to go about this?"  
"Through the Portal, and await  
our new warrior," Kyren said,  
explaining the plan in as little words  
as possible.  
This had been before they caught their  
new warrior.  
"But, won't she object,"  
"Hence the net."  
Bethany had seen a vision  
earlier that day. Visionaries were among  
the category of Gifted, having  
a special ability bestowed upon them  
by the great Angel herself.  
"Sir, I must apologize for  
overstepping, but may I make a  
suggestion?"  
"You may,"  
"How are we going to explain  
to her what we are in need of?"  
"We'll tell the truth. The  
girl is needed in a great battle.  
The greatest since the third World War  
of the Old World. Since the Queen's  
defeat, there have arisen new  
Demons, ready to thwart the  
Angel."  
She nodded, and stepped toward the  
swirling mass of grey wind that was  
the portal. "See you on the other  
side, sir."  
He nodded as she stepped through,  
into the Plains of Egina.  
Kyren thought back to the graduation  
of his second in command, Bethany.  
She'd passed the combat trial,  
and the agility trials with near flying  
colors. But, there was a certain  
persistance to her that made him  
cautious.  
"Let's get this over with."  
Kyren stepped forward,  
reminiscence over, and let himself be  
dragged into the great whirling grey  
portal, taking him to the plains  
outside of the new recruits'  
estate.  
Shackles bound her wrists high  
above her. That was the only thing  
suspending her high above the bottom  
of a dark chasm.  
"Kirae!" a voice called  
up to her. "Kirae Fox!"  
Metal chains chafing her wrists,  
Kirae breathed a sigh of confusion  
as she looked down to see what  
looked like a torch.  
"Who, who are you?" she asked,  
noticing the glint of light flickering  
off the flesh of a human apparition.  
"I am the Angel. I am  
Kir Drate," the figure said.  
"But, you died, ages ago!"  
"As an ancient Druid of the  
Old World, I never really died,  
Kirae. I only went into a  
sleeping stasis."  
"But, why are you talking to me?  
I'm nothing special."  
"My dear, Kirae, you will soon  
come to find you are far from normal."  
Kir Drate's apparition said.  
"I can't stay long, but I can do one  
favor for you, Daughter of  
Lightning, before I depart."  
"What do you mean, "depart?"  
Where are you going?"  
"I cannot stay long," Kir  
Drate repeated, and a beam of  
pure Light Energy shot straight  
into the air, streaking by Kirae, and  
slicing through her bonds.  
And into the darkness, a swirling  
mass of terror and chaos, she  
tumbled. A maelstrom of fear  
striking at her every limb, causing  
her to tense in anticipation of  
impact, of a fatal blow that would  
mortally wound her.  
"Daughter of,"  
"Lightning!"  
"Gill!"  
Voices rang through her head, and  
oddly enough, Kirae felt her  
body rattling, vibrating, as if  
someone were shaking her. Then her eyes  
flew open, and she gasped for breath.  
She was alive. She was not in  
that strange darkness, surrounded  
by deities of darkness, craving  
to devour her soul.  
"Girl," said a feminine  
voice, shaking her shoulder once more.  
"No," Kirae groaned,  
looking up.  
"Welcome back to the land of the  
living. I am Bethany, at  
your service for the current moment.  
Presently, I just saved your  
life, and your sanity."  
Kirae blinked as the woman  
straightened, looking down at the  
girl on the floor.  
"Do you have a name you wish me  
to call you?" Bethany asked,  
helping Kirae to her feet, almost  
as an afterthought.  
"Kirae. I'm Kirae  
Fox." Kirae said, her voice  
gaining in strength.  
"Well, Kirae Fox,  
follow me to your quarters."  
Kirae nodded, and let Bethany  
lead her from the odd circular room  
she'd awoken within.


	3. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirae's got quite the amount of questions on her mind, but the answers evade her grasp, until an offer is made.

"We are the paladins of the  
Angel, Kir Drate,"  
Bethany stated, indicating a  
crest on her shoulder.  
"Kir Drate," Kirae said.  
"I've heard that name before."  
The dream she'd had was still on her  
mind, but the details were fuzzy,  
and fading.  
"Of course you have. You're like us,  
are you not?"  
"Like you?"  
"A fighter. One of the few people  
resisting the rise of the Demons."  
Bethany lowered her voice at the  
last part.  
"I'm sorry, no." Kirae  
said, refraining, just barely, from  
cracking up.  
"Well, the Angel was the one  
who inspired our group, who gave  
us our 'itial task. That's what  
brought our sights to you."  
"To me?"  
"I am a Visionary, miss  
Fox." Bethany clarified.  
"I can see the future,  
vividly."  
"You're kidding me!"  
"You wouldn't be here if I was  
kidding, miss Fox."  
Bethany kept back that Kyren,  
the current leader of the paladin  
group, had put her in charge of  
watching over the girl.  
"So, what is it you do here?"  
Kirae asked after a moment of  
silence.  
"We await the arrival of a  
Demon, then we destroy it. We  
are the safeguard of this world, and  
Kyren is our leader."  
"Kyren?"  
"Miss Fox, I know there must  
be so many questions at the brink of your  
mind. But, for now, my orders are  
to show you to your quarteds for rest.  
Currently, you must have had a harsh  
entrance, so we assure you rest is  
quite necessary."  
"Please, allow me one more question."  
"Just one, miss Fox." Bethany  
said.  
"How am I going to get back  
home?" Kirae asked after a  
moment.  
"That is the question isn't it?"  
"You mean,"  
"That was your one question, Kirae,"  
Bethany replied, opening a door.  
"Kyren will explain later. For  
now, though, rest well."  
The room was comforting, looking  
almost exactly like her room back  
at the family house. The bed was  
large, wide, and comfortable blankets  
stretched along it.  
Despite being in a strange  
place, Kirae crumpled onto  
the bed, and almost immediately fell  
asleep. It took her remaining  
strength to crawl to the pillows, and  
get underneath the blanket.  
You're getting out of shape,  
Kirae told herself, just as her  
eyes closed. She knew, in the  
back of her her mind, that her mom  
would have agreed.  
Hours passed, and finally,  
Kirae woke once more, looking  
about the room. For a few moments  
she forgot what had happened, and where  
she was. Then her mind drifted  
to denial.  
"I can't be here," she told the  
room. "I can't. There's no way  
that the Angel's alive. She died  
along with the Demon Que," she  
stopped. Her tongue stuck to the  
top of her mouth as she started to say  
the name. "Demon Qu," she  
tried again, but got the same  
result.  
Kirae stood, and stretched,  
starting toward the door.  
With feline precision, she  
tried the handle of the door. It  
clicked, and swung open, out into the  
hall.  
The hallway was wide enough to fit  
one of the Old World transport  
vehicles, a truck as they were  
called, standing upright, and sideways.  
Across from Kirae's room was a  
door that looked identical to hers,  
only mirrored. She suspected  
that the room on the inside was  
mirrored as well, only fitting  
its occupant better.  
The walls were tough stone, hewn  
together by mortar, and brick, and the  
floor was tiled with marble colored  
white, blue and red.  
"Welcome to the Kir Drate  
Academy," came a voice from  
down the hall.  
Kirae jumped, nearly   
knocking her head against the wall.  
"Who are you?" she asked, turning  
to the man. He smiled  
reassuringly.  
"Don't worry," he said,  
walking forward. "I'm Kyren.  
I suspect Bethany has told  
you of me?"  
Kirae nodded.  
"I have so many questions," she said,  
looking from the man to the room behind her.  
"Come with me. We can talk  
on the way to my office."  
"So, where are we?" Kirae  
asked as the trudged along a  
labyrinth of corridors.  
"As I said before, this is the  
Kir Drate Academy,"  
he remarked. "This is the home of the  
paladins of the Angel herself."  
"Why do you refer to her as that?"  
"Her, the Angel?" Kyren  
asked, turning to her.  
"Yes." she responded.  
What did they mean by it?  
"It is proper to call Kir  
Drate as the Angel, because that is  
what she is, was, and always will be."  
Kirae nodded. "And I suppose  
it's no coincidence that you chose me  
to help you?"  
"Kirae, has anyone told you,  
you'd be the Angel's own form one  
day?"  
"No," Kirae looked at hed  
curiously. "What do you mean by that?"  
"Your name, Kirae, means,  
Angelspawn in the words of the Old  
World." Kyren said, turning the knob  
to a door. "Now come, we have a  
lot to discuss."  
In the grand office, Kirae  
could not keep her attention on  
Kyren.  
The room in its glory was at  
least twenty feet wide, with a great  
desk of mahogany sitting in its  
center.  
She sat on one side of the  
massive table, Kyren on the  
other, tapping away at a  
keyboard, one that looked like the one  
for the Virtual Reality Chamber's  
console. Attached to the keyboard  
rose a monitor, acurrently  
displaying a layout of what Kirae  
presumed to be the academy.  
On the wall to her right was what  
caught her attention the most.  
Tall windows stretched to the  
ceiling. And outside, the sun shone  
on a grassy plain stretching as  
far as she could see, which was not very far.  
Not only that, but, they were high up!  
"You can go look," Kyren said,  
as if sensing her awe.  
When she went to see the landscape,  
she did not recognize where they  
were.  
"How long have I been out?" she  
asked, looking down, and down, to the  
ground several stories below.  
"Maybe six hours." Kyren  
said, finishing a keystroke, and  
turning from the keyboard. "You  
slept quite soundly, miss Fox."  
"What do you mean? It couldn't have  
been that short a period of time?  
We're in a completely different  
location."  
"Transporters have their uses,  
when you program them correctly,"  
Kyren said, a bored tone to his  
words. "But, that's how we came  
to you, and brought you back here."  
"Kidnapped,"  
"Come now, Kirae,"  
"No," she interjected, raising  
a hand, and beginning to pace the room.  
"I want explanations. Everything."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I want to know everything, about this  
group, gang, whatever you are. I  
want to know about the Angel, Kir  
Drate, and why you need me to fulfill  
some stupid prophecy." She  
stopped, looking at Kyren, just as the  
doors' handle turned, and Bethany  
walked into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is National Novel Writing Month, Nofember, I'll be writing a bunch for this story, so don't you worry.


	4. The World Of Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the strange place, showing past, present, and future, all a mere step through a door? Let Bethany be your guide in the World of Truths.

"What?"  
Her voice echoed as a sheen of  
white light came over her eyes,  
then cleared seconds later.  
She breathed a gasp, and heard  
the rasp echo throughout a large  
chamber.  
"Where, am I?" she asked,  
her voice echoing just slightly.  
But, she received no answer.  
A woman stood, her back  
toward Kirae, reading a book. But,  
the voice did not come from the woman.  
Someone else was in the room.  
"No, you can't!"  
"I must," the woman holding the  
book turned to the other, her eyes  
a fiery color.  
Her gaze passed right over  
Kirae, her head moving a full  
two hundred seventy degrees.  
Kirae turned to look as well.  
Indeed, another woman stood in  
the rooms' doorway, her gaze  
passing Kirae entirely as she  
looked at her companion.  
"It will kill you!" the woman,  
who looked vaguely familiar.  
"And in turn, it will be destroyed!  
Do you want our world succumbed  
into darkness?"  
"But,"  
"Tiale!" the woman holding  
the book snapped. "Don't question  
me! If I'm going to save you,  
even give you a chance, then I want  
no doubt in my actions!"  
The books' pages began  
to sizzle with black energy, and the  
woman, Tiale looked  
pitifully at her friend.  
Then the vision dissolved, and she  
was back in the office, gasping for  
breath. It took a several  
seconds for her to realize she was  
on the floor, her forehead covered  
in cold sweat.  
"What?" she asked as Bethany  
helped her to her feet. "What was  
that?"  
"I have a special ability,"  
"I know," Kirae interrupted.  
"You told me."  
"But, with that ability, I can share  
what I see with others by means of  
physical contact." Bethany  
continued.  
"That was the past, Kirae."  
"What? How could that be the past?  
If you showed me a vision that must have  
been the future." Kirae looked  
from one to the other, perplexed. When  
neither answered she said, "Either way,  
that explains nothing of how I'm  
associated with the Angel."  
"Bethany, what happened?"  
"It," Bethany swallowed.  
"It didn't work."  
"What didn't work?"  
"I was supposed to show you what  
I'd seen, but it didn't show what  
I had seen."  
"Right," Kirae said.  
"That means, someone's tampering with  
your mind." Kyren said.  
"Tampering?"  
"When I look to the visions, or  
the flashbacks, I leave my  
mind vulnerable."  
Kirae blinked in confusion.  
"Elaborate?" she asked, her  
mind whirling.  
"My mind could be broken. And  
so could yours during that occurrence."  
"I want to do it again." Kirae  
stated boldly. This was met with  
stunned silence, but Kirae already  
knew the answer, no. However,  
Bethany held out one hand.  
"Kyren?" she asked, looking  
to him. He nodded, and the two girls  
clasped hands, Kirae's body  
going limp once more.  
Another flash, and she felt  
the same way, lifeless,  
disembodied.  
This time, the world was a glowing orb  
which began to open its maw.  
Standing in the very center was the same  
woman, this time clothed in black  
robes, swirling, whirling purple  
mist.  
"Hello?" she called, her  
voice echoing as it had before.  
"Who, are you?" the figure  
asked.  
At a closer glance, Kirae  
noticed something odd. Shackles  
crackled and flickered in and out of  
existence.  
"I am Kirae Fox,"  
"I am the Daughter of  
Lightning!"  
Kirae looked back to where the  
voice had come from, and she saw a  
hooded figure.  
Strapped to the person's side  
was a sword, a familiar blade.  
"That's Lance!" Kirae said,  
her hand subconsciously going to her  
side. The sword was there, as it  
normally was. But, there it was,  
as plain as day, on this new  
girls' side, sheathed like she owned  
it.  
She scowled at the whirling mass  
of darkened flesh, unsheathing the  
sword.  
"Well, you wield Lance, eh?  
Last I saw her was back in the  
Druid Order. Back when I was  
human."  
Then everything blurred, swirling  
to white, and then into blackness.  
This time, when the light appeared  
again, Kirae found herself in a very  
familiar place, the center of the  
world replaced by a building.  
Outside, on the parapets  
surrounding the buildings' outer walk  
was a large gash in the ground,  
closely resembling a large  
triangle with odd symbols.  
"This is the Kir Drate  
Academy." came a voice.  
Kirae whirled around, and saw  
Bethany striding toward her.  
"It takes a lot of exertion  
to get how I am now, with you, and  
walking normally."  
"You mean, I'm paralyzed?"  
"No, not necessarily."  
Bethany said, stopping near  
Kirae. "You can move, it just  
takes some effort."  
Kirae looked through the window  
straight before her. "What's that gash in  
the ground?"  
"That is the Well of  
Worshipping," Bethany explained  
simply. "One must offer something of  
value, annually, to the great  
Angel, Kir Drate."  
Kirae stepped closer to the  
window, tilting her head in hopes  
of looking closer at it. Bethany  
was right, it took her at least ten  
seconds just to put one foot forward.  
"Can we go out there?" she asked,  
looking to Bethany.  
"We don't have much time here, I'm  
sorry." she said. "Come here, we  
must leave."  
"What do you mean?"  
"The World of Truths, it is only  
open for a certain period of time after you  
enter it. We've nearly come across  
that line in time."  
"The World of Truths?"  
"I'll explain on the  
outside."  
As the two clasped hands once  
more, Kirae felt that she'd have a  
long way to go before she understood this  
entire academy, or whatever it was  
being called.  
But, for now, she needed the right  
answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pleasa, don't hesitate to give feedback.


	5. Into Virtuality

Light filled her vision as she  
was transported, or whatever,  
back to the room with Kyren. It  
felt as if her soul was being put  
right back in her body. Not that  
Kirae knew what that was like.  
She gasped, finding herself on the  
floor yet again, and looked up.  
"Did it work?" she asked,  
scrambling to her feet.  
"No, not necessarily."  
"What are we going to do then?-  
Kyren asked.  
"I'd like to go back." Kirae  
said. "Back to Egina, where my  
home, my family, is."  
"We can't, Kirae."  
"Why?" she snapped, immediately  
angry.  
"It will cause too much danger  
to befall them. It would,"  
"They can handle danger! They're  
great fighters! They're how I  
learned how to fight!" Kirae  
argued, glaring at Kyren.  
"To prove this, why not participate  
in a training run,"  
Kirae looked at him, her  
gaze softening just barely.  
"A training run?"  
"Correct."  
"What would I do in this run?"  
"Kyren," Bethany stopped him  
from answering.  
"What?"  
"We shouldn't." she advised.  
"Our students are trained  
fighters."  
"So," Kirae shot back,  
glaring at Bethany now.  
"I mean no offense by it,  
Kirae, but you'd get  
annihilated!"  
"Bring it on!"  
Moments later found Kirae  
grouped with three seasoned fighters  
of the academy, facing off against  
three other teams of four.  
"This is Grai, Kalvin,  
and Bishop Elizabetth. We just  
call her Bishop." Kyren  
introduced. "Everyone, this is our  
new recruit in training, Kirae.  
She will be joining you in your training  
run this afternoon."  
"Welcome, Kirae,"  
Kalvin, a tall guy with black  
hair, said. He wore a white  
T-shirt, and blue jeans, a  
pair of mismatched shoes, one a  
turquoise color, the other a  
deep red.  
"All right, everyone!" called  
a voice. "Today, your match takes  
place at a group of fortified  
temples. Pick your temple,  
and defend it with your life."  
"How are we going to do this?"  
Kirae asked, looking to where  
Kyren had stood, but he was gone.  
"We're put into a scenario in  
the Virtual Reality Chambers,  
given objectives, and how to win.  
On the inside, we're alone, but for  
each other, and our training."  
She nodded as the teams were herded  
into separate cupboard structures  
that were the familiar Virtual  
Reality Chambers.  
"Strap in, everybody." came  
the voice of a male, the person  
Kirae assumed would be the one  
operating the machine.  
"Prepare for battle," Grai  
said. She was a short, but scrawny  
girl, with blue eyes, and hair as  
green as grass. She wore what  
seemed to be an armored jacket  
over a plain T-shirt.  
A familiar flash, and Kirae  
was in a rocky area, with a tower  
to her back. Grai, and Kalvin  
stood to either side of her, bows  
raised.  
"Where is Bishop," Kalvin  
asked, scanning the landscape.  
"Up here." came a feminine  
voice.  
Above them, hooded, and holding  
a crossbow, Bishop Elizabetth  
stood, aiming around the area.  
"This is our sanctum,"  
Kalvin explained to Kirae.  
"We protect this sanctum with  
our lives."  
Drawing Lance, her trademark  
sword, Kirae also scanned the  
lands.  
Trees rose high above them, their  
branches arching up, higher and higher  
to form a canopy miles high.  
"Welcome to your first training  
mission, Kirae."  
Moments passed, Bishop keeping  
watch high above them, looking for  
an attack. And when it came,  
Kirae was not ready for how it would  
happen.  
Eight people ran forward, blades  
and bows raised. The main assault  
clashed against Kirae, while she  
was covered by Grai and Kalvin.  
Bishop had a one-on-one archery  
match.  
Clashing and clanging, blades  
flashed brightly in the forest they'd  
been put into, with Kirae at  
the front of the assault.  
While fighting, she wondered  
"; the last group was. In the end,  
she decided they were probably  
setting up their own base at another  
temple.  
"I need assistance!" she called  
to her team as two of the fighters  
circled around her, blades ready  
to strike at any second.  
"Don't worry. We've got  
your back!" called a voice, with  
three arrows coming out to defend her.  
One embedded itself in an armored  
breastplate.  
The fighter toppled over leaving  
Kirae to fight one against one.  
Lance seemed to hum with energy  
as she fought, and Kirae felt the  
familiar sensation of letting the  
sword take control.  
A slash to the side, then an  
arcing slice brought her opponent  
down. THE fighter dissolved  
into nothingness, which was custom for the  
Chambers.  
If one were in combat, or in a  
dangerous situation in these chambers,  
they would wake up, alive, and  
well. The purpose of these chambers  
were to hold a body in stasis while  
they spent a while somewhere designed  
for them. So, this fighter would wake  
up, most likely with a headache.  
"We've got a temple  
to take!" she called to her  
teammates, her sword held  
aloft.  
Bishop leaped from the temples'  
balcony, and loped off into the dense  
forest, leading the way.  
Kyren and Bethany were watching the  
whole mission in awe as Kirae  
dispatched one of the groups merely with a  
sword.  
"Does she fit the vision?" he  
asked, looking to Bethany. She  
nodded, silently watching the mission.  
"Then we must test her." he  
replied, but Bethany still did not  
respond.  
How do we test a fighter, such  
as herself? Kyren thought as the feed  
cut out. He did not have to wait long  
for the answer.  
"Bethany," she turned to him,  
having noticed the transmissions'  
end. "Are you thinking the same thought  
as I am?"  
"That would depend on your thought  
process, Kyren."  
"Hmmm, let's see," he  
started, biting his upper lip in  
concentration. "How about,"  
Kirae felt the blade enter her  
back before she toppled to the ground,  
her attacker standing over her  
triumphant.  
"You had a good run, noob,  
but someone's always there to be better."  
and then she woke.  
"Did you learn a valuable  
lesson in that training mission,  
Kirae?" Kyren asked, entering  
the small cupboard of a chamber.  
Kalvin, Grai, and Bishop were  
still asleep, hooked to the machine,  
and Kirae could see their movements  
on their respective screens.  
"I'm not sure," Kirae said,  
biting her lip. Usually when she  
woke she had a headache, and this  
training regiment was no different.  
"Keep in mind, in a battle  
such as this," Kyren indicated the  
screens with the arc of an arm, "That  
you must always keep guard for your back  
as well as your front. Now come.  
We've got another, special,  
training mission for you."  
She followed Kyren, as he  
led her from the Virtual Reality  
Chamber, down the corridor, which  
was lined with many of the chambers.  
"What do you mean, you have a  
special training mission for me?"  
Kirae asked as they turned down  
a shorter corridor, then into a  
third hall, looking like a mirrored  
copy of the first, lined with Virtual  
Reality Chambers.  
"This academy has many, many  
places to train. But, for  
graduations, it's necessary to have a  
certain chamber set up for the person  
being tested." Kyren explained as he  
opened a door at the end of the hall.  
On the inside was the largest  
Virtual Reality Chamber that  
Kirae Fox had ever seen in her  
short life.


	6. Training Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to train, and Kirae seems to know exactly what to do.

His room must have been as wide as  
Kyren's office, if not wider, which  
was very wide for a Virtual Reality  
Chamber. It was dominated by a  
massive black console, with an  
even larger curtain above to show a  
screen.  
"This is where you will take your  
Test of Faith." Kyren  
explained, moving over to the console.  
"You will take on a few trials,  
and if you come out victorious, you will  
be accepted into our group, fighting  
off evil for the sake of the Angel,  
Kir Drate."  
"I need to be accepted into the  
group?" Kirae asked, her  
attention not drawn to him, but to the  
console itself.  
It had many, many buttons,  
levers, and switches, with different  
places to strap in people ready for a  
good training match, with at least ten  
open spaces.  
"Yes, because Bethany saw it  
necessary."  
"Necessary, for what reason?"  
"Kirae, there is an evil  
stirring in the Ether. I can feel  
it, and so can Bethany." Kyren  
said, turning to her. His tone got  
her attention. "And there's only one  
person who can stop it. But, she's  
chained somewhere, somehow."  
"Chained? By what?"  
"Nobody's sure, but by giving  
our support, and our worship,  
we could set her free, send her  
forth against our foes. You, Kirae  
Fox," he looked at her  
proudly. "Are the one that's said  
to begin the revolution that sets  
Earth's second generation truly  
free."  
"Revolution? What  
revolution?" Kirae asked,  
incredulous, and confused.  
"Kirae, please," Kyren  
said, moving just a little closer to her.  
"Please just trust me on this."  
For a moment, Kirae did not  
reply, looking at him. She kept  
to herself the thought that he was a complete  
stranger, or as close as someone  
you've known for a mere few hours  
could be.  
"Fine." she finally replied,  
walking toward the large machine.  
She took a large strap, and  
prepared to harness herself onto the  
machine, noting its massive size,  
even up close it was grand.  
She placed one end of the strap  
against the hard metal surface,  
snicking it snugly in place,  
then she moved to secure the other end.  
Twice she checked the harness, and  
twice she got the same result.  
She was safe, and secured.  
"Send me in," she said, turning  
to Kyren.  
"Training begins in five, four,  
three two," he hit a button,  
and a flash of light crossed her  
vision, cussing everything to white, then  
black. After a moment, the world  
faded into view, and Kirae found  
herself atop a rocky outcropping.  
Lance was in her right hand, in her  
left was a communicator, which she  
put against her ear. "I'm in,"  
she said, not sure why.  
"Good," Kyren said. Instincts  
told her to hook a small wire  
around her ear, and as she did so, the  
communicator stayed in place.  
"Your mission is to take the tower to the  
north."  
Very basic, Kirae thought,  
starting off.  
Kirae looked to the sword in  
her hand, and felt a small pulse  
from it.  
Usually, before battle, the  
Lance, as Kirae called it, would  
pulsate gently, as if telling her  
that it was ready to fight.  
She started forward as a bridge  
appeared in the near distance. Guarding  
both sides of the bridge were men  
wearing helmets, and wielding odd  
ranged weapons.  
They had spotted her before she  
had spotted them. Each had their  
weapons aimed straight for her  
heart.  
"Trespasser, you shall not pass  
us."  
"No worries," Kirae  
said, the faintest hint of a smile  
curling her lower lip. "I'm already  
done doing that." she turned away  
from them, keeping her sword at the  
ready, as she walked away from the  
bridge. Her instincts told her  
she was walking north, so she  
proceeded from there.  
Something told Kirae to turn  
around, an instinct, a sixth sense,  
she was not sure what it was, but when  
she did, her sword arm raised  
just in time to deflect a bullet  
which bounced off of Lance's metal  
blade.  
"Charge!" called one of the gruff  
men, racing forward.  
Kirae turned, and sprinted off,  
hoping she could outrun her  
pursuers.  
Ahead of her, a tower stood,  
proud and tall, glinting in the  
daylight. But, the walls were made  
of a pure, glass-like material,  
which reflected the sun, and the sky high  
above her.  
And not her approach.  
Kirae slowed to just short of a  
trot, moving ever closer to the  
monolith that stood before her. She  
figured some people must have used this as a  
lens to see trespassers, so they  
could be eliminated. And maybe, that's  
how those four guards had known she'd  
come for the bridge.  
"Tread carefully," Kirae  
said to herself as she came around a  
rock near the tower.  
Down a slope stood the towers'  
entrance, a massive arch protected  
by a lion, and a bird, both  
statues of their respective  
animals. But, in front of the  
statues was what caught Kirae's  
attention completely.  
Not four, not six, but ten men  
stood, those strange weapons aimed  
uphill, toward her.  
But, they could not see her. They  
swept the weapons around, looking for  
her, but she was invisible, yet in  
plain sight.  
"This could be good!" she said, smiling  
to the men.  
Lance seemed to emit a glow  
then, a strong pulse being sent through  
Kirae's body. It was as if the  
sword was urging her forward.  
"You want a battle?" Kirae  
asked, feeling a little awkward  
talking to a weapon. But, the sword  
immediately responded with another  
pulse. A pulse that, that Kirae  
could perfectly understand!  
Let's fight, the sword seemed  
to say. Let's make this  
battlefield a blood bath!  
"You seem to have a violent mind,"  
Kirae mused, starting down the  
slope toward the tower, and its  
guards.  
When one guard spotted her,  
Lance immediately took action,  
batting the projectile shot at  
her away.  
"You'll have to try harder than  
that, boys!" Kirae called,  
taunting them as she sauntered down  
to them.  
"Draw your swords, men!"  
called one, and they stood to attention  
doing as they were told.  
Lance pulsed enthusiastically, as  
Kirae's arm thrust forward in a  
stab, catching one of the men off guard,  
and toppling him. She swung the  
blade to the right, slashing another  
guards' side open.  
He fell next to his  
colleague, leaving Kirae to face  
two more guards, both swinging at  
her from half her direction choices.  
First left, Lance pulsed,  
cutting one sword off from cutting  
Kirae's head. Then to the right, and a  
circular slash.  
Kirae felt caught in the  
moment as both of the remaining men  
fell, and she was left to enter the  
tower, the interference all gone, and  
dealt with for now.  
Inside, the walls were lined with  
vague paintings, scrawlings, and  
plain marble. The floor was tiled  
with the same material, and the ceiling  
was just the same, plain marble tiles.  
It was a long corridor that ended in  
a door, that led to a staircase which  
Kirae took upwards.  
Along a few corridors  
Kirae trekked, ascending  
staircases, until she came  
to the Bronze Door.  
She had been informed of the Bronze  
Door by Kyren, and it had its  
title scrawled in blood just above  
its handle.  
"Very exciting," Kirae  
mumbled as she took a hold of the  
handle, and turned. Locked.  
Of course, it had to be locked.  
Now, where could a key be located?


	7. Infiltration

Alarm bells screamed in  
Bethany's head as she wandered the  
halls of the Kir Drate  
Academy.  
Something was wrong, something very,  
very wrong.  
She was just getting into her  
thoughts, clearing her mind to use  
her visions, but as she started this  
process, a piercing shriek  
rattled through the academy, nearly  
making Bethany jump.  
That alarm, it meant'  
There was an intruder, somewhere on  
the grounds. And not just any intruder.  
One from Kalias.  
Bethany started down the  
corridor at a quick pace, holding  
up her communicator, pressing  
the button to transmit a  
message to Kyren.  
"Kyren, sir, I'm out looking  
for the intruder immediately. He will be  
eliminated."  
"Understood. Be careful."  
She leaped down a staircase,  
running along a corridor, and  
coming to a door leading out into the  
daylight.  
Bethany placed her hand on  
the door, and enforced her other  
ability.  
With the ability to see the future,  
and the past, she had the ability  
to track whatever happened, utilizing  
the sense of feel.  
Indeed, there was something, a small  
hint of entry. Bethany let her  
eyes close, going back to the  
past just moments before when the door  
was opened.  
Bethany whirled just before a blade  
sailed by her, nearly cutting her  
ear off.  
Her assailant would never get  
that lucky again, Bethany was sure  
of it.  
Kirae felt, rather than heard,  
the crumbling of the giant building  
as she raced up, and up, higher and  
higher into its towers.  
"Take the keep," she whispered  
to herself, "Take the keep, take  
the keep, take the keep. Fight,  
fight, fight!"  
Her heart thumped in her chest,  
and Lance seemed as eager as she  
was, pulsating vigorously,  
making all of Kirae's sword  
arm vibrate.  
Moments ago she had found something  
that could lead her to the key she sought.  
A new passage had been revealed  
as part of the building collapsed.  
Logic, and instinct told Kirae  
to take this passageway, and it led  
up, and up.  
"Take the keep, take the keep,  
take the keep!" she whispered,  
leaping up a staircase, bounding down  
a corridor.  
Glinting at the end of the hall, on  
the marble floor, was a rather large key.  
Could this be it? Could this be what she  
was looking for?  
Kirae picked it up, and nearly  
dropped it. It was far heavier than  
she anticipated.  
Panting, she took a moment,  
then grabbed the key, and started along  
the corridor again, heading back for the  
staircase.  
Leaping down, tracking backward,  
Kirae managed to make the trek  
back to the Bronze Door.  
She inserted the key in the lock,  
and turned.  
Snick.  
The door opened, creaking  
menacingly. Inside was a  
battlefield and in its center stood  
a strange mechanical creature.  
"Let's do this!" Kirae said,  
entering the room boldly.  
If it weren't for her quick  
reflexes, and her sharp senses,  
Bethany would have been impaled three  
times over as the man from Kalias  
threw more knives at her.  
Immediately, it was time to duel, and  
Bethany charged, drawing her  
sword.  
It was a dance of blades, a  
fierce duel, knives, and swords  
twirling perilously close to both  
fighters, but both Bethany and this  
intruder knew what they were doing.  
They seemed to be equally matched,  
exchanging parried blow for parried  
blow, blocking and striking, feinting  
quickly to one side, and slashing. But,  
in that sense each was one step ahead.  
Aanother parry, another feint,  
and the two were locked, blade  
to blade.  
"What is it you seek, Kalias  
scum!" Bethany spat as she drew  
her sword back.  
"The life of each and every one of you."  
a stab, but Bethany was ready,  
blocking the attempt. She batted  
his sword away.  
"You're going to have to try ha,"  
she didn't notice him slam his  
fist against her chest, pushing her  
back.  
She grunted, staggering as he  
pressed the assault, pushing her  
even further backward.  
Her back hit the wall as  
another strike of the mans' fist hit  
her jaw.  
Bethany raised her sword in  
what seemed like slow motion, lifting  
her arm through thick, muddy water,  
the blade slicing the intruders'  
throat.  
A last pummel brought Bethany  
to her knees just before the man, bleeding  
from his wound, fell, and lived no  
more.  
"Kyren," Bethany wheezed through  
her communicator. "I, I need,  
help."  
"Where are you?" his voice crackled  
to her.  
"Third, floor. Near, cliff  
exit. Intruder, killed."  
"Medic Solace will be there  
shortly. Hold on to life,  
Bethany."  
Bethany, who was bruised, and  
bleeding, collapsed, breathing heavily  
as the wailing of the alarm died down.  
It was the alarms' final piercing  
shriek that bid her consciousness fare  
well.  
"We deal not, with the people passing upon  
our territory," came a voice  
through the screen. "And this infraction  
will not stand!"  
"Keep babbling, you old fool!"  
Zoin Calligien stated, before  
flicking the display into darkness.  
Yes, Kyren. Keep babbling,  
for talk only causes more of the war.  
And war leads to death.  
He stood as a man entered his  
office, without knocking, holding a  
form before him like a shield.  
"Sir," he stated, bowing. "I  
have news of our attack o,"  
"I know, Klen." Zoin stated  
harshly, moving passed the Kalias  
agent.  
Now was the time to inform the Demon  
himself of this news. Zoin did not  
feel that his master, Kalias, would  
take this news very well.  
Nonetheless, Zoin strode down the  
hall, composing himself before stepping into the  
lift that would take him to his  
masters' chambers.  
"Ah, Kirae! I'm glad  
to see the obstacles haven't killed  
you yet," Kyren's voice came  
over the communicator, his tone  
enthusiastic.  
"Ah, you've seen me, so far."  
Kirae said, eyeing the monstrous  
creature before her.


	8. A Test Of Faith

Kirae kept her gaze on the  
strange mechanical creature as  
she circled it, Lance at the ready,  
held aloft in her right hand.  
"What are you?" she asked the thing  
before launching herself forward in a full  
assault of sword strikes.  
But this beast was far from dormant,  
and vulnerable.  
A whir of gears, and it sprang  
to life, raising a metal arm, and  
slamming it against Kirae's sword.  
She fell back, barely keeping  
her balance as the automaton  
advanced, looming over her.  
It was only then that Kirae  
realized its true bulk.  
The thing must have stood over eight  
feet tall, and four feet wide with  
claws for fingers, and odd tripod-like  
stands for feet. These stands had  
wheels, allowing for quick movement.  
A claw slammed down, shaking  
the arena, just barely missing Kirae  
as it arced through the air. Kirae  
took the opportunity to slash at  
the claw, and it retreated.  
_Every eyed the thing as it wheeled about,  
arcing another claw down in hopes  
of impaling her. Kirae barely  
managed to dodge this, grabbing a  
hold of the claw. As it retreated,  
she flew up with it, higher, and higher  
into the air. Lance pulsed with an  
unidentifiable emotion, fear?  
"We've got this," Kirae  
said, as if to reassure the sword,  
or whatever was inside the blade.  
"We will win this," as she said this,  
she was hurled through the air.  
She landed with a thud, Lance  
flying from her hand. A claw slammed  
down, then a second, each  
getting dangerously close to her.  
One caught her sword, and  
held it, almost like a human would.  
Kirae gasped as she scrambled  
to her feet, looking cautiously  
at the claw holding her sword.  
The blade seemed to follow her  
every move as she stepped to one side,  
then the other, ducking, and rolling  
quickly out of the way of a claw.  
This thing was quick, that was for sure.  
But, Kirae had to be quicker.  
Her hands sparked gently, and that  
seemed to be enough fuel for her.  
A surge of energy spiked through  
her body, as if a flame had just  
been turned on.  
She could win this. No, she WOULD  
win this.  
"Come on you metal moron!"  
Kirae taunted, standing just out of  
reach of one of its claws. "You  
can't hit me or something?"  
"Don't forget to watch your  
back, Kirae. That's one thing  
to always keep in mind." Kyren's  
voice crackled over her  
communicator. "Don't forget  
what happened the last time you did  
that."  
"I've got it." she remarked,  
turning just slightly. She kept one  
eye on the metal monster as she  
scanned the arena.  
Nothing was lurking about, nothing at  
all. It was just a one-on-one  
match between her and a large metal  
thing. Her sword still dangled from one  
of its claws, and she desperately  
needed that sword, even if she were  
going to fight.  
But, how was she going to get it  
back?  
That was the true question at hand.  
Another spark of energy, another  
burst of warmth surging through her  
body, and Kirae raced forward,  
doing what the monster would not have  
expected of her.  
As she neared the thing, and one of its  
claws began to lower, she leaped,  
tilting to one side as she flew  
upward, her hands reaching out,  
further and further, latching onto  
the end of Lance.  
"I've got you!" she cried to the  
sword as she hung suspended in  
midair.  
She grappled with the claw with her  
free hand, attempting to loosen  
its grip on the sword.  
A pulse went through her body  
then, a violent shudder its result.  
I can't hold my energy much  
longer, Lance seemed to tell her.  
Hurry!  
"Yeah, tell me about it! I'm  
trying my best!" Kirae cried as  
the claw raised into the air, rising  
high above the ground.  
Her only hope now was that the  
claw didn't just drop her.  
"Please don't," she pleaded  
with the thing. "Just keep me up, or  
lower me slo," but it did not hear  
her plea, for Kirae Fox began  
to fall, Lance held in both hands  
as she made the quick, unintentional  
descent.  
"No!"  
Kyren watched the screen as  
Bethany entered the large Virtual  
Reality Chamber, her face  
covered in bruises and dried  
blood.  
"Hey, Beth," Kyren said,  
gesturing her over to the seat next  
to him. "How are you feeling?"  
"Like crap," Bethany groaned.  
"I'm sorry."  
"How's our new recruit  
doing?"  
"Well, she's not dead quite yet,"  
Kyren remarked, a smile playing  
across his lips. He indicated the  
screen which showed Kirae holding  
onto her sword for dear life.  
"Do you think she will make it out of  
this alive?"  
"There is no telling."  
The two were silent for long  
moments, sitting and watching this little  
ceremonial ritual. This was what  
made recruits into Kir Drate  
Academic students. This was the  
pinnacle of fighting education.  
Both members of the academy  
focused on Kirae as she made  
a spectacular comeback.  
With her sword in hand, Kirae  
found herself alive, lying on her back  
as the metal monster wheeled toward  
her, towering above the small human.  
"You think you're frightening, eh?"  
she asked, looking up to it as a  
claw began to lower, thinking it had  
her. "Well, I'll show you what's  
frightening."  
A quick stab upward cut the  
claws' acceleration short. It  
pushed against her, but Kirae held  
firm against it. With brute force  
she pulled and the claw came  
crashing down to the ground.  
The metal on the great beast  
glinted a feint green, showing the  
slightest signs of weakness  
approaching.  
"One down, three to go!"  
Kirae whooped, Lance arcing through  
the air, and hooking onto a  
second claw.  
Again, and again, she did this, and  
finally, the armor turned a bright  
red color, and from the beast extended  
a large scythe.  
After quite a tedious duel,  
parrying the scythes' blade, and  
attacking, piercing the metal  
armor with Lance, the beast slowed,  
its whirring and ticking slowing.  
Finally, it crumpled and crashed  
to the ground.  
Kirae staggered as she felt the  
room shake violently. She  
was lucky to keep her footing as  
everything went white.  
The straps were loosened as the  
recruit woke. Lance was sheathed  
at her side as Kirae stood,  
and stretched.  
"Did, did I do it?" she  
asked, surveying the large chamber.  
The only occupants were Kyren  
and Bethany, both of whom were beaming  
at her.  
That was as much an answer as  
Kirae Fox needed.


	9. Breached

Kirae did not have a great deal  
of time to recover from the battle, and  
its effects, for she was herded from the  
chamber, and along many, many halls.  
"What is it that's so  
important?" she asked as they  
moved quickly up a staircase.  
"It's time for your graduation!"  
"There's no one that fits this  
group more than you. You have proven yourself  
worthy."  
"Thanks, but,"  
"No, no!" Kyren interjected,  
grinning from ear to ear. He turned  
to Bethany and murmured to her, "Do  
you think she is the one?"  
"I told you the day I saw her  
in my visions, I know she is the  
one."  
"I am the what?" she asked,  
a little impatient with them.  
"You are the one who will bring us from  
our current situation, and into a new  
era of battle." Kyren said as they  
entered a grand hall, a large stage  
near its back, with a black curtain  
pulled back.  
Zoin turned from the Demon that  
stood in the blackness, to the door.  
"I understand." he remarked. "But,  
sir. Why do we need to pull such  
an attack?"  
"Do you realize what it could  
mean, fool?!" Kalias whispered.  
"It could mean their total  
destruction!"  
"But, they are skilled fighters,"  
"And so are you. No more questions,  
Zoin, get to work! Do what you must  
to wipe them all out! Especially  
that young girl they'll raise today."  
"Yes sir,"  
Zoin marched back to the lift,  
and rode it back to the hall, entering  
the light that it provided. He sighed  
in exasperation. What could the Demon  
mean? Why would he want their  
destruction so soon? It was just  
too, sudden. Either way, orders were  
orders.  
So, Zoin marched along, back  
to his office, his plan formulating  
as he went.  
Kirae flushed as she mounted the  
stage, then the dais atop that,  
looking out across the area, filled with  
row upon row of chairs. She could  
hardly keep her attention focused  
on what Kyren and Bethany were  
saying anymore.  
"So, we'll lower this to your  
shoulders, and,"  
"Wait," she said, stopping them.  
"Who all is going to see this?"  
"All of the academy will be  
called."  
This brought a deeper flush  
to Kirae's cheeks, and she  
refrained from objecting.  
Graduating into an academy  
she had no information on? That was  
ridiculous!  
The curtain began to close,  
leaving Kirae in complete darkness,  
with Bethany adjusting things around  
her. Outside, she heard Kyren  
greeting someone, then sending them on  
their way.  
"Tell your hall mates that  
we've got a graduation ceremony  
coming shortly." he said, and the person,  
a male as indicated by the voice,  
acknowledged, leaving.  
Moments passed, and people began  
to enter, chattering about some stuff that  
Kirae could not quite understand.  
"Ha!" one girl said, snorting  
with laughter. "You couldn't beat me  
even if you wanted to! You're  
probably the laziest one of us,"  
"Come on, Mali," came  
another voice. "I could, I'd  
have to work on it though!"  
"I wish you the best of luck,"  
"Now now, Mali, Evan."  
Kyren said, breaking the argument up.  
After that, more moments passed, and  
Kirae fidgeted nervously, from  
foot to foot.  
And finally, the curtains drew  
back, and everyone clapped,  
cheering.  
Kirae stood, paralyzed with  
nervousness as they all focused on  
her. Kyren stood beside the dais,  
raising one arm to touch her hand.  
"Kirae Fox, we my  
congratulate for passing the Test  
of Faith." Kyren spoke loudly.  
"And for passing said test, we grant  
you graduation into our prestigious  
academy. We welcome you,  
Kirae Fox, to Kir Drate's  
Academy!"  
Bethany climbed the side of the  
dais to stand by her side, lowering a  
rod of pure light onto  
Kirae's shoulders.  
The girl could not move as the room  
at large gasped. The rod  
sizzled right as it touched Kirae's  
jacket, some reaction causing the  
equipment to malfunction.  
The crowd was not staring at her  
anymore, and Kirae felt she  
could move again, as if ropes had  
been released from her body. So,  
she turned to see what had fixated  
the crowd now.  
The wall behind her was tinted a  
deep red and black color with a  
white outline, a demonic face  
showing against the bricks.  
People screamed as an alarm began  
to wail throughout the whole building.  
This was nothing ordinary, Kirae  
could tell. This didn't happen on  
a regular basis. She turned  
to Kyren, hoping to ask for an  
explanation, but he stood, his mouth  
wide, his eyes glazed.  
Bethany placed a hand over her  
mouth as the beast made the gesture  
of roaring, though no sound was heard,  
a claw raising, ripping at the  
wall, yet no bricks caved  
downward.  
It was all an illusion. A  
terrifying illusion.  
Then, as suddenly as it appeared,  
the evil apparition disappeared, leaving  
the wall blank once again.  
Though, that did not stop the screech  
of the alarm, and Kirae felt as if  
something bad were happening. Something they  
could not see.  
She leaped from the dais, and started  
off, pushing by people. Some of them tried  
to stop her, others were too consumed  
by panic to realize what was happening.  
"Kirae," Kyren's voice  
cut through her thoughts as she raced from the  
room. "Wait!"  
She did not turn.  
Exiting the great hall that she was  
to be graduating within, Kirae started  
down a long corridor, Lance  
in hand.  
"What do you sense, Lance?" she  
asked, and the sword pulsated. The  
blade leaned forward, hinting which  
direction to take.  
A door burst open, and  
men sprang through, swords drawn.  
When they saw only Kirae,  
sprinting along the hall as she was,  
they paused just for a moment.  
They scattered as she hacked  
away, Lance moving as fast as  
lightning.  
A very small number managed  
to block her onslaught  
successfully. The others scattered,  
and a small amount were killed.  
"We have a breach!" came a  
familiar voice. "We have been  
breached! Repeat, we have been  
breached! All Kir Drate  
fighters report to the South Cliff  
Exit, immediately! This is an open  
channel. Those prepared to fight,  
respond!"  
Kirae saw a knife sail  
through the air, impaling a hooded  
man, and bringing him to his knees.  
"Bethany, where is Kirae?"  
came Kyren's voice.  
"In the middle of fighting,  
actually. Got a firm grip on  
things." Another knife flew by,  
bringing down another man.  
"Reinforcements are headed your  
way." Kyren said, as a door burst  
open, and Kir Drate students,  
charged through.  
And thus, the battle began, with  
many Kir Drate members facing  
off against these odd masked intruders.  
At one point during this chaotic  
battle, Bethany pulled Kirae  
to one side, hiding both of them behind a  
door.  
"You know where they're from, don't  
you?" she hissed, as low as she could.  
Kirae shook her head. "No,  
I don't."  
"They are from our rival,  
Kalias."  
"Your, rival," Kirae said,  
tilting her head quizzically in  
the direction of the fighters.  
"Yes," Bethany answered.  
"First off, why couldn't this wait  
until after the ba,"  
"Because, Kirae." Bethany  
snapped, interrupting her. "What  
if you or I did not come out of this?!  
What if we're all eliminated,  
killed?"  
The two stood in a heated  
silence for a moment, then Bethany  
walked passed Kirae, and out into the  
fray once more.  
She danced around some fighters,  
slashing at their backs, and toppling  
them. Bethany seemed so graceful  
when put into a battle. Ruthless, but  
elegant.  
Alone she took on two of the  
intruding men, and she danced, blades  
twirling faster than Kirae could  
watch.  
"You gonna just stand around here,  
hiding from the battle, you should  
obviously be leading us in?" came  
a voice, startling Kirae.  
"What do you mean?"  
"You should be leading us, with your  
spectacle known." Kyren said,  
looking over her shoulder.  
Kirae shook her head, then  
backed away, entering the battle,  
preparing to fight alongside her  
to-be comrades.  
Kyren stood, leaning against the  
wall, and peeking through the small  
hole between the door and the wall  
adjacent to it, watching as the  
fighters dashed all around.  
The question that raced through his mind,  
ricocheting off the interior of his  
skull was: Why would Kalias  
choose now, of all the times,  
to attack? Why now, would they come  
to wage war?  
That question was to be answered. It would  
receive its answer, someday, somehow.


	10. Graduation Day

After the battle was over, everyone  
was exhausted. They had won, but at  
a price. The intruders, members  
of Kalias, were ruthless, and they  
showed no mercy as they slaughtered  
man and woman of Kir Drate.  
That battle was three days ago.  
And in the present, Kirae stood,  
once again, on the dais, before the  
curtain.  
"I'd just like to take the time to say,  
thank you all for your patience. It's  
taken a while to rest ourselves for this  
day, but here we are once again. And  
without further ado, let us  
welcome, Kirae Fox, into the  
Angel's academy!"  
Everyone applauded as the rod  
of light was lowered, once more, onto  
Kirae's shoulders, and she felt  
a surge of energy, a pulse of  
exhilaration, excitement, and more  
feelings. Most of all, she felt  
stronger.  
Everyone applauded as Kirae  
descended. People rose to their feet,  
surging forward, clapping Kirae  
on the back.  
"Welcome, Kirae!" came  
a girl's voice.  
She was lanky, and tall, and  
wore an odd assortment of  
jewels. Pearls glinted against her  
throat, as if glowing eyes were there  
to watch, and an amethyst was embedded  
in an eye patch. Her voice was  
very familiar.  
"Are you, Mali?" Kirae  
asked, looking at her.  
The girl nodded. "Yes, why  
do you ask?"  
"I overheard an argument between you  
and,"  
"Evan," Mali nodded again.  
"We poke fun at him because he's  
been here almost as long as Bethany,  
and still he can't operate some of the  
tech that's here."  
"Sorry, but, that makes him  
lazy?"  
Mali shrugged.  
The two parted as a man clapped  
Kirae's back. "Welcome  
to the group!"  
Back in her quarters, Kirae  
sat on her bed, sifting through a  
book she'd found in the library of the  
academy.  
"Kirae?"  
She blinked, and looked up to see  
Kalvin standing in the doorway.  
"Oh, Kalvin!" she greeted,  
standing. "What's up?"  
"Hey, Kyren wants to see you  
in his office."  
"Did he say for what?" she  
asked, blinking in confusion.  
Kalvin shook his head, turned,  
and began to walk. Kirae had no  
choice but to follow. She turned  
the book upside down, and set   
on the bed, donned her jacket,  
and hurried after him.  
"Ah, Kirae!" Kyren  
greeted, smiling as she entered.  
"Sorry to call you here at such  
an inconvenient time but,"  
"No need to apologize,  
Kyren." Kirae said, stepping  
into the office.  
Halfway down the hall that  
led to the office Kalvin had said  
his good byes, and left her to finish  
the journey.  
"Please, sit," Kyren  
beckoned, gesturing to a chair.  
"I have something to tell you."  
She sat, looking across the table  
to him. "What is it?"  
"I'm not sure you're aware of  
this, but specific students are  
assigned missions here as well."  
Kirae nodded, taking this in without  
commenting.  
"I was wondering if you'd be  
willing to take on a mission for  
us."  
"Me?" she asked in confusion.  
"I just "graduated," I doubt  
I'm as good as others here."  
"You can't be so sure about that,  
Kirae." Kyren said. "You  
pulled quite a spectacle in your test  
of faith. So, I think you're more  
than competent enough to do this."  
"What's the mission?" Kirae  
asked after a moment. It took her  
some time before she actually felt bold  
enough to ask.  
"Do you remember that little,  
intrusion, we had a few days ago?"  
Kyren asked, pulling a piece of  
folded paper from a drawer.  
"Yes," Kirae said  
tentatively.  
"As Bethany has no doubt  
informed you, they are from Kalias, a  
group of murderers, thieves,"  
"Warriors," Kirae added.  
Kyren nodded. "They span across  
the world, working for the Demon by the  
same name."  
"Right."  
"So, the mission I'm assigning  
you is to help us find their base."  
"Their base? You mean, they have  
a place like this, only meant for the  
criminally insane?"  
"If you consider them to be such,  
then yes. They have begun a war between  
our factions, and so, I have sent  
a few emissaries to find their  
base, and you are one of the few that were  
chosen."  
"Right," Kirae nodded.  
"Are you feeling up to the  
task?"  
"Sure, why not?" She smiled,  
and stood.  
"You may leave tomorrow."  
Kirae turned to the door, and  
started away, heading back to her  
room.  
Once there, she began to prepare,  
not that there was much to do in the first place.  
All she really had to do was  
fix her clothing, and lay down. She  
had placed Lance on the table next  
to her bed. Almost immediately as she put  
her head against the pillow, Kirae  
was sent into a whirling torrent of  
dreams and nightmares.  
First she saw that same creature  
that had shown itself to the group, ripping  
at her body, tearing her flesh  
apart. Its claws would crunch through  
bone, and nerves, and just continue on  
like it had hit nothing at all.  
She woke in a cold sweat,  
panting as she sat bolt upright,  
looking around the darkened room.  
It was all a dream, of course,,  
but the mere thought of that creature,  
ravaging the lands was terrifying. Was  
that the Demon that Kyren was talking about,  
Kalias, or was it a smaller,  
less catastrophic Demon that led  
the rival group?  
The only way to find out was  
to complete the task assigned to her.  
And Kirae knew she would complete  
it. She had to.  
After attempting to sleep again,  
Kirae decided to just get up, and  
do her best to prepare for the mission.  
Stretching, Kirae started for the  
door that led out into the hallway.  
Once outside, she started for  
Kyren's office, a few questions on  
her mind.  
"Come in," Kyren called through  
the door as Kirae knocked.  
"Kyren, I have a few questions that  
I want to ask you, before I head  
out."  
"All right. Come sit, and ask  
away." Kyren smiled as she  
entered.  
"First, how will I know where to start  
my search?" she began, sitting in the  
chair she'd sat in quite a few times  
already.  
"Throughout the course of only a  
short period of time I've sent out  
three students. You will be the fourth,  
one for each direction. Your job will  
be to take the north."  
"And how will I know to come back,  
or, how to communicate with you?"  
"Don't worry, Kirae, we  
have equipment for you."  
From his desk, Kyren produced  
a bag, tied closed by a grey  
string. He passed it across the table  
to her.  
She opened it to find a small band  
that looked just large enough for her wrist,  
quiver of arrows, and another bag.  
"Inside that small bag is a  
package only to be used in dire  
situations." Kyren informed her as she  
held it up to the light. She nodded  
understandingly, whilst wondering what was  
in it.  
Before she could ask though, an alarm  
began to wail through the academy,  
startling her.  
"Kyren," Bethany said, entering  
the office. "We've got a reading.  
It's not a Kalias member, nor  
is it one of our guys. It's, someone  
from the outside. But, she's out of  
control."  
"What do you mean?"  
"She's flying an aircraft, and  
well, she's going to crash."  
Kirae blinked as Bethany said  
this, and she stood.  
"What?"  
"I said," Bethany said, looking  
her in the eyes, a fierce glint  
to her gaze, "She's going to crash."


	11. Lokette Cooper

Kirae took a step from the great  
academy's doors, and looked around  
in curiosity.  
Within the past week or so, she'd  
only had the chance to look at the  
scenery, but after that period of time, being  
locked up basically, she finally  
had the chance to explore, which she was  
grateful for.  
So, where to start, she mused, as she  
turned to what she supposed would be  
north. As she looked to the skies,  
she noticed the ship that Kyren had  
mentioned, and shown on one of the many  
monitors in his office. It was in  
a straight nose-dive, right for the  
ground. Wait, not for the ground, for  
her.  
Kirae could only watch as the  
great ship hurtled through the air  
straight for her, tons upon tons  
of metal, and plastic, ready  
to crush with tremendous force. She  
could only watch in horror as it  
came.  
Lokette wasn't sure what  
made her decide to go flying with the  
ship she inherited from her mother. Their  
estate had so many airships that she  
could have chosen any one of them, but she  
had chosen the Tailwing Dueler, as  
it had been called back then.  
Back when it had been a fighter  
airship. But, after the war had ended,  
her mom had taken off the weapons  
that gave it its name, and it just got the  
first half of its name, Tailwing.  
So, Lokette Cooper, a  
short girl for her age, with long  
black, very curly, hair that made  
a curtain across her face, annoying  
her actually, and covering her bright  
blue eyes, sat at the helm of the  
ship Tailwing, furiously pushing,  
then pulling, on the main control  
stick.  
"This is just great," she  
exclaimed, slapping her leg in  
resignation. "I'm going to crash  
mom's ship, and that's just great! Now  
I understand why she said I should use  
a crew of at least six."  
But, then again, there was a reason behind  
her leaving, and declining the crew,  
as well as taking the ship. She  
did not intend to return to her  
parents, her siblings, anyone in that  
little area.  
She remembered the last conversation  
she'd had with her mother, the day before she  
had taken off.  
"Mom, I was thinking about,  
leaving." she had said, that afternoon.  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Well, it's just, boring here.  
I want adventure, action, and  
I don't think I'll be getting  
it here. The least I'll get is a  
fire somewhere. And that would only last  
about ten minutes."  
Yes, it had been that quick, but her  
mother, had tried to stop her. And only  
her mother, because her father had died when she  
was very young.  
"You remember talking about dad?"  
she pointed out one of the few times  
Lokette's mother had tried to talk  
her out of this decision. "He always  
loved adventure, right?"  
She nodded.  
"So do I."  
As a kid she loved to go  
exploring her estate, watching the  
birds soaring through the sky, and landing  
on a tree branch. She had soon  
excavated every nook and cranny she  
could find in that area, and the areas  
surrounding it.  
She knew it wasn't true, but  
she tried to reassure her mom, just  
as she was leaving, that she would return.  
But, in all honesty, what was their  
to return to, after finding such a  
treasure as adventure.  
And now, here she was, about to crash  
into the ground, and die burning.  
After a moment of weightlessness she  
felt a small thud, then the ship  
began to right itself from the perpetual  
nose-dive it was in, and it began  
to land.  
"How are you holding up, miss?"  
came a male's voice over her  
communication systems.  
"W-What?"  
"How are you holding up there?  
You must be in some shock, first from  
freefalling, then being caught by an  
Elementalist."  
"Oh, uh," Lokette blinked.  
Elementalist? Her mother had told  
her they'd all died, after the war.  
But, here she was, being gently  
let down to the ground by, by what?  
A myth? Or reality?  
"Who are you?" she decided  
to call out.  
"I am Kalvin, of the Wind."  
Kirae gasped as the ship which had  
been quickly descending, hurtling  
through the sky, straight for her, and which was  
now falling at a steady, slower,  
speed.  
It landed with a thump just feet  
away from her in the grass that made  
up the front courtyard of the Kir  
Drate academy.  
"What, just happened?" she asked,  
blinking in confusion and shock.  
Kalvin came out the front of the  
academy, and started for the ship,  
passing Kirae, and stepping up the  
ladder. "I just saved our friend here,  
from a fatal crash." he said over  
his shoulder. "Kirae, I'd like you  
to meet a ' very alive, girl."  
A girl's face peered over  
the railing of the pilot's box, and  
she blinked upon seeing Kalvin, then,  
a poor image of Kirae.  
"Do you seek to board my ship?"  
she asked, smiling apologetically.  
"Please,"  
"You may board the Tailwing.  
I am her captain, and crew,  
Lokette Cooper."  
Aboard what Lokette called  
the Tailwing, a ship that had been  
stripped of all weapons, Kirae,  
and Kalvin sat with the captain herself.  
She seemed to be an enthusiastic  
speaker, for a smile was plastered  
on her face while she talked.  
"So, I thought it would be a good  
idea to go traveling, adventuring,  
seeing what I could find in this vast,  
almost empty world. But, the next thing  
I know, one of my right-wing thrusters  
was shattered, and I was left with a  
significantly smaller amount  
of fuel." Lokette explained.  
"So, you were falling, from the sky,  
straight for a building."  
"Yes. And then, you came along,  
and now I'm alive, I'm safe,  
and this ship is not a burning mass of  
metal!" Lokette grinned from  
ear to ear as she finished.  
All Kirae could do was sit in  
silence as Kalvin continued the  
conversation.  
"Wait a second,"  
Lokette, who had begun pacing,  
stopped near Kirae, "I've not  
yet asked your name."  
"It's Kirae. Kirae  
Fox." she remarked, smiling  
politely at the girl.  
"A Fox descendant, eh?  
My grandfather traveled with your  
grandmother, did you know that?"  
"Grandmother Paiyndrei,"  
Kirae nodded. "I do remember.  
I remember the tales of heroism,  
the stories of battles won. She  
mentioned your own grandfather many times."  
"Well, it seems that one can't  
go without the other, because we,  
descendants, are here. Call me  
optimistic, but I think even our  
descendants, years from now, will  
become great friends, and do great things."  
Kirae stood. "You'll have  
to excuse me, I have something I must,"  
she stopped as a clamor came  
to her ears. She looked back at  
Lokette and Kalvin, who had  
both evidently heard it.  
"What was that?" Lokette asked,  
pulling her her belt a strange  
pair of staffs.  
"It would seem, somebody wants  
your airship."


	12. Ambush

The trio had made their way, as  
stealthily as possible, up to the main  
deck. Each took turns peeking  
over the railing to see ladders standing  
against the ships' bulk.  
"I do not remember placing those  
there." Lokette admitted, biting  
her lip as she ran a hand through her  
hair.  
"That just means that someone wants  
to pay us a visit."  
"No," Kirae said, her own  
teeth bared. In one hand she held  
her sword, the blade glowing a  
faint blue. "Never trust something  
like this." she stated.  
And with that, she started for the railing,  
hauling herself over it with cat-like  
grace, and let herself drop to the  
ground below.  
Kalvin and Lokette watched as  
she stalked forward, with every intention  
of finding who ever threatened them, and  
dissecting them.  
She struck out, slashing at a  
large rock, and the force of her  
attack toppled the boulder  
sideways, revealing a hooded  
figure. For a moment, Kirae and the  
figure locked gazes, then fell  
into formation, beginning to circle each  
other as if they were feral dogs.  
"Should we go and help her?"  
Lokette asked curiously as  
the man struck out, slashing with a  
long knife, just missing Kirae's  
shoulder.  
"I have confidence in her. She will  
win."  
Lokette found herself examining  
the man by the name of Kalvin, biting  
her lip as she did so, watching him  
shift from foot to foot, glancing  
from time to time at the battle that had  
begun.  
Kirae however, felt the  
opposite of confident. She found  
herself flailing, compared to this  
professional fighter. Whereas her  
movements were blunt, and swift,  
his were graceful.  
He struck, and struck again,  
slashing, and slicing. Each attack  
she was barely able to dodge, but one  
of the slashes was able to graze her  
shoulder.  
The man gave no time for  
recovery, pouncing, and slashing again.  
He brought the blade down, and  
Kirae raised her arm painfully  
to block it. Glad for the support,  
Kirae heard a pulse from Lance  
whom immediately sparked brightly, throwing  
the man away.  
He stood, and looked at  
Kirae, who needed a moment to catch  
her breath.  
What was she doing, besides losing  
her edge? She was good at sword  
fighting, or, fighting in general!  
So, why was she slipping up like this?  
"Kirae, behind you!"  
That was Kalvin. But, what was it  
he was talking about?  
Just then, an arrow whizzed by her  
ear, and her opponent smiled  
triumphantly. He thought he had  
won by bringing friends.  
But, Kirae was far from giving up.  
She looked back to see five  
more men, similarly dressed,  
advancing boldly toward her.  
Each of the five drew swords,  
wicked blades that glowed black  
with a dried substance that Kirae  
could not identify. She gulped back  
just ing faintest tinge of fear that had  
crept into her. She was starting to get  
the feeling that she would not be able to win  
this fight.  
But, she had friends too. Didn't  
she?  
Either way, she had to win, for  
Kir Drate.  
Lance pulsed, almost in,  
approval? Yes, that seemed to be  
it. Kirae was no master at  
translating the faint pulses that the  
sword had been giving, but it  
seemed like the sword approved of her  
thoughts.  
"I will win, for Kir Drate,"  
Kirae remarked softly.  
Kirae turned to the ship, the  
Tailwing as Lokette had called  
the massive ship, and called up  
to her companions. "You going to let  
me have all the fun?"  
She raised Lance high above  
her head, and as she arced the blade  
through the air, she let out a croaking  
roar that rose to a crescendo and  
changed into a scream, as she ran for  
her attackers.  
Through the chaos that ensued, Kirae  
Fox could not be certain if  
Lokette and Kalvin had joined  
her, but she knew that the attackers  
would not have an easy time taking her  
out. She would make very certain that she  
would be their last target.  
Her blade whirled into action,  
spinning at an impossible speed,  
without her even moving her hand to do so.  
She swung, chopping away, but they  
seemed ready, for they blocked  
merely a few of the swift attacks  
in the barrage.  
Kirae could not be certain whether  
the roaring in her ears was her own  
scream or the rush of adrenaline and  
blood through her ears as she fought her  
hardest to take each of her  
opponents down.  
"Lokette, what weapon do you  
use?" Kalvin asked as he  
hauled himself up, and over the railing.  
"I tend to switch between my canes  
and a bow." Lokette informed him,  
following suit.  
"You will be assisting Kirae, and  
I will be aiding the both of you with  
covering fire." Kalvin patted his  
pockets, and produced three  
quivers, full of arrows.  
"You've got it." Lokette  
said, smiling as she unfolded the  
strange weapon at her side.  
Unfolded the cane looked a  
formidable weapon indeed, and  
Lokette wielded it with an expert  
hand, thrusting the canes into the air  
as she rushed into battle.  
"Right," Kalvin said, placing  
his many quivers on the ground.  
He had gotten commendations for  
being able to hide at least six  
quivers, full of arrows, in the  
massive pockets on his coat.  
The clacking of weapons brought  
Kalvin out of his thoughts, and he  
pulled out his bow, aiming for one of the  
fighters. But, as he fell, another  
took his place, then another, and  
another.  
"Kirae, Lokette, they're  
not dying!" he called.  
"What do you mean?" Lokette  
asked, peering back at him.  
"They keep coming! More and more, they  
just keep coming!"  
But, Kirae did not seem  
to hear his words, for she continued  
to fight, her blade whirling faster  
than Kalvin could keep track of.  
At one point, Kalvin thought  
he saw a spark on Kirae's  
hand, then a small flame dancing  
between locks of her hair, but when  
he blinked, it was gone. And so was  
she, moved to another place,  
keeping the battle going.  
Arrow after arrow, Kalvin's bow  
twanged as he fired.  
Lokette watched the surroundings  
as she fought, keeping an eye on  
an obstacle she might come across.  
Currently she was fine, level  
ground beneath her feet as she swung,  
and thrust her canes at an enemy,  
and impaling him. When he fell,  
another man took his place,  
raising a crude sword. Then,  
he fell, and a third man took his  
place. Kalvin was right. They were  
a relentless force.  
"We have to fall back! Get  
to the ship!" she cried to the both of  
them.  
She leaped backward, stabbing  
the canes into the ground behind herself, before  
she went, vaulting over them, and  
bringing the weapon upward in an  
uppercut motion. The end of the canes  
smashed against her opponents' jaw,  
sending him sprawling. Again,  
Lokette did this, and again, fleeing  
this way, keeping an eye out for those  
who might block her retreat.  
But, no one did.  
One final flip brought her  
onto the Tailwing once more. She  
panted, placing her hands on her  
knees, nearly toppling over and  
into the railing of the ship. "Come on  
you two! We're leaving!"  
Kirae, who was caught up in the  
battle, heard none of this, but felt  
Kalvin's strong grip, pulling  
her backward, away from the  
attackers. "We have to go!" he  
shouted.  
Then, it all disappeared. The  
ground was empty of bodies, no  
weapons lying on the ground, and all  
that could be heard was Kirae's  
harsh breathing. Then she toppled  
over. The last she could see was  
Kalvin kneeling hastily beside her,  
and the last she could hear was  
Lokette's concerned, shrill  
cries.  
"What just happened? Is she  
going to be all right?!"  
And that was when everything went black.


	13. Coordinated Excavation

"Kydra! Wake up! Wake  
up, please, Kydra!" Lokette  
frowned at the small girl laying  
before her. It was her sister, lying  
helplessly on the grass.  
Lokette felt helpless as she  
sat and watched her little sister writhe  
in agony on the ground.  
Lokette could not explain what  
was happening to her sister, only that she  
had just collapsed, out of no where.  
She was just playing in the field, then  
she keeled over.  
The girls were alone that day,  
Lokette having chosen to go  
exploring, and her sister, choosing  
to do whatever it was she did. But, the  
problem was, where was her mother? Where  
was the person who could probably  
explain what it was that was happening  
to her sister? Certainly not there, with  
them.  
Lokette Cooper, a young  
girl at this time, stood, and ran  
for her life, ran for the house that must  
have been two miles away. She  
ran, and she ran not looking back.  
And in the back of her mind,  
Lokette knew she was abandoning her sister to an unknown fate.  
"Kalvin, what's going on with  
her?!" she found herself back in the  
present, asking the man kneeling  
beside the warrior. Eight years,  
she had lost her sister to what  
seemed to be the same fate.  
"I am not exactly sure.  
She just, passed out." Kalvin said,  
placing a hand on Kirae's chest.  
"She's breathing. She has a  
strong pulse still," his voice  
trailed off.  
The two locked gazes for just a  
moment, then Lokette moved to look  
at Kirae, hauling herself over the  
railing once more, and walking over.  
"What are we going to do then?"  
she asked, once she knelt next  
to him.  
"I'm not sure," he replied.  
"I must contact my leader, see  
what his diagnosis, and opinion  
is."  
And with that, Kalvin stepped away,  
pulling out a communicator, placing  
it against his ear. He continued to move  
until he was out of earshot, and  
Lokette watched him.  
What did he mean, his leader?  
Kalvin tapped his fingers against his  
wrist as the communicator rang,  
and rang, for several minutes on  
end, and finally, Kyren picked up.  
"Kalvin, what is it?" Kyren  
asked almost immediately.  
"It's Kirae, sir. She's  
fallen unconscious, and I am  
unsure of what is wrong with her."  
"Battle-worn," Kyren said.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Most likely. How long has  
it been since the latest battle?"  
"At least 10 minutes, sir."  
"Ten minutes? What happened?"  
"We were attacked by masked men.  
I presume they were from Kalias,  
but after a while, they just, disappeared,  
then Kirae collapsed." Kalvin  
explained, looking out into the distance,  
at where Kirae lay.  
"I will make my way there as  
soon as possible. Inform me of your  
current location."  
"We must be at least two miles  
north of Kir Drate's  
Academy, sir."  
"As I said before, it is likely  
that she is just weary from her last  
battle, but I will be there momentarily  
to check for myself." Kyren said. "For  
now, keep watch for any sign of  
attack again, and keep her from harm."  
"Yes sir."  
The transmission ended, and  
Kalvin made his way back to the  
other two, Lokette checking  
Kirae's vitals as Kalvin  
had done moments before.  
"It's just as you said," Lokette  
announced as he approached. "There  
is nothing wrong with her.  
Absolutely nothing."  
"No anomaly," came a  
voice that Kalvin immediately  
recognized as Kyren. "That is  
most definitely strange."  
Lokette looked up, and back,  
blinking in confusion.  
"No worries, Lokette,  
he's a friend." Kalvin saluted  
briefly, greeting Kyren.  
"Sir."  
"Kalvin," Kyren nodded to him  
before kneeling beside Kirae. "Now,  
let's see. What is wrong with  
you?"  
She felt weightless, and  
empty as she floated through the darkness  
around her. Kirae was trapped,  
a ghost of a soul, being pushed and  
pulled by an unknown force.  
"Where am I?" she called out.  
Her voice echoed around her, bouncing  
off of invisible walls somewhere in the  
distance. Yet, she received no  
reply.  
"Hello? Is there anyone there?"  
Yet, she still got no  
response. She floated about,  
passing only darkness.  
As when she had visited this  
empty space, a light shone below  
her, a faint light. But, as she  
prepared to call out once again, the  
light disappeared.  
She woke, and felt the ground  
beneath her moving, rising slowly,  
then falling gently back down.  
She did not lay on grass, or  
gravel, dirt or sand, but soft  
sheets, with a blanket over her  
body. She felt numb,  
paralyzed, and her eyes were closed.  
Her lips were dry, and the dryness  
seeped into her throat, disabling her  
capability of speech.  
Kirae heard movement in the  
area, and Kyren's voice.  
"Kirae, you're awake."  
"Ky," she croaked, attempting  
to speak. "Water."  
"Yes, I will get some for you,"  
he remarked.  
"I," she spoke slowly,  
deliberately, but her voice  
cracked just slightly. "I can't  
open my eyes."  
"That will be resolved momentarily,  
I promise." Kyren said, and  
she heard the sound of running water,  
then footsteps. "We are aboard  
the Tailwing, your friends' ship."  
She nodded, the movement painful.  
Lokette entered the room, her  
arrival indicated by her voice, and  
more footsteps just as Kyren arrived  
by Kirae's side. He placed  
the cup he held against her lips,  
and she drank greedily.  
"What, what's wrong with my  
vision?" she asked upon finishing the  
drink.  
"How's she doing?" Lokette  
asked, coming to sit near two.  
"Unknown side effects of her  
little, collapse." Kyren informed  
her.  
"What happened to me?" Kirae  
asked, eagerly wanting to know.  
"During the battle that was  
evidently an illusion, you  
collapsed."  
"I, I can't see." she  
remarked miserably. She tried  
to open her eyes, and failed.  
"Kalvin will be here momentarily,  
and he will be able to help."  
She laid down on the bed once  
more, rolling onto her side. "I  
must sleep," she said, letting her  
eyes close, not that she had a  
choice in doing so. She drifted  
off into the world of dreams, hoping her  
dreams were not empty as was her first.  
When she woke again, the ship was  
quiet, and she was alone in the  
room.  
We must have landed, Kirae thought,  
starting to sit up. She found herself  
able to open her eyes, so she looked  
around the blank room. All that there  
was inside the room was a bed, and a  
dresser with a blank metal door.  
Kirae started toward the door  
on numb, wobbly legs.  
A knock sounded, startling  
Kirae as she approached. She  
reached out a pale arm, and turned the  
knob, opening it to see Kalvin  
standing before her.  
"You're awake," Kalvin  
stated, a smile creasing his lips.  
"Yes." she remarked calmly.  
"I was just coming to check on you,  
orders from Kyren himself."  
She nodded. "Lead the way."  
Down the hall they traversed,  
and out to a ladder leading up to the deck.  
Above them the sky was dark, and the  
moon glinted faintly, shining down  
on them.  
Ascending they found Lokette  
standing at the helm, fiddling with one  
of the controls, yet they were not moving.  
Kyren, meanwhile, lounged against  
a railing, looking out across the plain  
they had landed on.  
"Kirae, you are awake,"  
Kyren greeted as she approached.  
"Yes." she responded  
lamely. She had nothing really  
to say about herself.  
"I hope you've sufficiently  
recovered through your sleep."  
"I have tried." she remarked.  
"My sleep was restless, and full  
of dreams."  
Kyren nodded knowingly, and turned  
his gaze to their surroundings once more.  
The two stood in silence for  
several long moments, standing side  
by side, watching the night as it  
swallowed all sound.  
Finally, Lokette powered the  
ship on, and it hummed to life,  
lurching inches forward. This action  
startled Kirae out of her state  
of mind, making her look back.  
"No need to worry," Lokette  
stated. "I'm just checking the power  
in this thing. She got pretty low,  
hence our current location."  
"This ship is powered by something?"  
Kirae asked, examining the metal  
railing before her.  
Finally, the humming of the ship died  
down, and Lokette came to join  
them, watching the night pass by through the  
passage of time.  
When morning arrived, Lokette  
had power, and Kyren had their  
destination. "Throughout the hours of the  
night since passed," he remarked,  
examining the communicator on his  
wrist. "I have thought of a place  
to start our exploration for the base of  
Kalias."  
"Where is that?" Kirae asked,  
eager to officially begin her first  
mission.  
"Your job is to take the northern  
section of this place, thus the first  
location for excavation will be an  
abandoned, and likely dangerous  
light house that has been said to be  
haunted."  
"You've got it!" Kirae  
remarked, unsheathing Lance. "You  
coming with, Lokette, Kalvin?"  
she asked the other two.  
"I have another sector  
to excavate," Kalvin informed.  
"You're on my ship, so of  
course!" Lokette remarked  
enthusiastically, raising a fist  
into the air. And with her other hand, she  
powered on the ship.  
"We will see you soon, then,  
Kalvin of the Winds." Kyren said,  
smiling as Kalvin left.  
"Soon enough, Kyren." was  
his response. For the remainder of the  
walk, he was silent.


	14. The Halls of Melody

The flight was smooth, with great  
weather, and the sun shining down upon them as  
it made its regular flight through the  
sky, as if propelled on the winds  
that drew the Tailwing along.  
Kirae, who had not been out  
traveling much, was paralyzed with  
enthusiasm, eagerness to see every bit  
of land this world had to show.  
After hours of flight, the sun  
lay in the western skies, and the ship  
landed near an obelisk, a towering  
structure built of placid  
grey rocks, and bricks.  
"This is the landmark you mentioned,  
Kyren." Lokette announced,  
hauling herself over the railing, and  
climbing down via a rope ladder.  
"These are the Halls of Melody."  
"As in music?" Kirae asked  
in confusion and curiosity.  
"No. Melody, was the last  
owner of this building. It was said  
she died within its walls."  
"And that's what makes it,  
haunted?" Kirae asked, looking  
at the looming obelisk.  
Once the entirety of the trio  
was on the ground, they began to make  
their way toward the silent obelisk,  
its massive black double doors  
striking Kirae as the maw of a great  
beast. They swung wide, as if  
waiting for them to enter, waiting  
to cut off their escape.  
Kyren entered first, followed  
closely by Kirae, then  
Lokette, who wielded her staffs,  
folded together. And once the trio  
entered, the doors slammed shut  
ominously, leaving them in darkness.  
Lance flared to life, a  
brilliant glow emanating from the  
steel blade Kirae held. She  
held the blade aloft to illuminate  
the blank walls that stretched for  
almost ten feet, coming to a staircase.  
And near the stairs, stood a figure  
clothed entirely in white. Though  
her clothing and her skin was a pale  
color, her eyes were soulless, and  
black as they stared right at Kirae.  
"Who are you, who enters my  
halls?" she asked, her voice  
a sing-song of words.  
"I am Kirae Fox,"  
she announced, hoping she sounded  
bold, and confident.  
The specter that stood near them  
did not back away. "I am  
Melody Dragaris. I am the  
Lost Dragon." she stated.  
"I am the keeper of this house, of  
this darkened space. You must leave,  
or face the consequences of death."  
"We come in peace," Lokette  
stated, sheathing her staffs.  
Kyren blinked, obviously  
recognizing the name. "You said,  
Dragaris, am I correct?"  
The specter did not respond.  
"I know that name. Min'Shain  
Dragaris, the one who fought in the  
third World War of Earth's first  
generation. She was a hero in all  
regards."  
"Yes, I am aware of the deeds  
of my sister. But, she is dead now,  
and so am I!" the room shook, as  
if conveying the girls' anger.  
Then, something Kirae could not  
explain, had she been asked as  
to the occurrence, but the specter just,  
dispersed with a soft %sound of music.  
The music was haunting, and it  
echoed throughout the obelisk, seeping  
into Kirae's mind, drawing her  
forward. When she looked back, she  
saw Kyren, his teeth gritted,  
and standing his ground.  
Kirae took a tentative  
step forward, then another, and when  
she turned her head to the side,  
she saw Lokette standing beside her,  
taking a step as she did.  
"Kirae! Stop!" Kyren  
called, his teeth still gritted. She  
could just barely hear his voice through the  
haunting echo of the song, pulsing  
through her body and mind.  
Once the pair had reached the  
stairs, both collapsed, the song  
dying, dying slowly, until it was  
a mere humming far off in the  
recesses of the womens' minds.  
"Kirae! Lokette!"  
Kyren's voice was more clear and  
Kirae could hear running  
footsteps, obviously his,  
running toward them.  
She felt a warm hand feeling  
along her neck, then pulling her  
up by her arms, into a sitting  
position. Before her sat Kyren,  
his face reddened from his obvious  
efforts to resist the enchanting song.  
"Is, is it over?" she asked,  
her words slurred.  
"It is." Kyren nodded.  
"It was, dark," Kirae  
remarked. "It was menacing."  
"Lokette?" Kyren asked,  
turning to the other girl, sprawled  
on her back, and groaning beside them.  
"Kyren, I don't think that,  
being here is, a good idea," Kirae  
said, taking deep, calming breaths  
to soothe herself. "We might,  
attract more attention, than is  
necessary."  
Kyren nodded. "Something tells  
me that there's something here we are  
missing, however. It would be good  
to investigate, at least for a small  
period of time."  
The trio stood, Kirae  
suspected that Lokette, who had  
gone through the same trance she'd  
been put through, was also standing on  
numb, wobbly legs. Kyren  
led them along the hall, and through a  
door that they had not seen upon their  
first inspection, down a flight of  
stairs and into a labyrinth of blank  
hallways lined with blank tiled  
walls that were covered in cobwebs.  
"All right, this place is,  
officially creepy," Kirae said,  
still taking deep, methodical  
breaths, announced when she saw the  
webbed walls.  
"I'm with you on that." Lokette  
agreed, doing her best to stand in the  
center of the hall. Occasionally, she  
would peer up at the ceiling, as if  
something were ready to fall onto her  
head at any moment. Yet, throughout  
their dark trek, nothing did.  
Lance's illumination alerted them  
of a large chasm in the floor, leading  
into pure darkness, a door, and a  
narrow spiral staircase, the former  
of the three Kirae nearly fell  
into. She was saved by Lance's  
blade, conveniently hooking around a  
small piece of the floor, allowing  
her to climb back up, with help  
from her companions.  
The spiral staircase they  
encountered they took down, spiraling  
into darkness.  
"Is there anything specific  
that we're looking for?" Kirae  
asked, just as Kyren opened a large  
metal door. Down from the room  
beyond fell something shaped like a  
cylinder. It clinked, rolling  
across the ground.  
Kyren crouched beside the item,  
and picked it up, turning it over,  
and over in his hands. "What do we  
have here?" he asked, examining it  
carefully.  
He showed it first, to Kirae,  
then to Lokette, then finally he  
said, blatantly. "This is the  
broken barrel to an ancient, and  
very powerful weapon."


	15. An Old Relic

A woman stood atop a hill,  
her face hidden by a veil colored  
black. Her hair, held  
loosely by a dark ribbon, flowed  
in the wind as she faced her greatest  
enemy. And in this nemesis's hand  
stood the greatest weapon to be  
invented. And not only this, but this was  
the nightmare of the world.  
She held the Cometline, a  
weapon specifically designed  
for the final Druids' Order of  
Earth.  
"Tial," she gasped, looking  
over the sleek weapon's form. "Not  
only have you created a monstrosity,  
but you've given it to the humans!"  
"They are worthy," Tial,  
a woman with long white hair, tied  
in a halo above her head, grey  
eyes, and a slender form, answered.  
"They are not worthy!"  
"Jinna,"  
"No, Tial!" Jinna cried.  
The two stared at each other  
in silence as time passed, each  
at the ready, each perched on the  
verge of a physical confrontation.  
Kirae looked at Kyren in  
confusion.  
"You believe that this is the barrel  
of an ancient weapon?" she  
echoed. "Not only that, but the weapon  
designed to kill off evil,  
vaporize them for good?"  
Kyren nodded somberly as he  
turned the metal barrel over in  
his hands a third time.  
He had been quiet since his  
explanation not thirty seconds  
ago.  
"This can't be serious. This just,  
can't be happening." Lokette was  
vigorously shaking her head back  
and forth as she said this, leaning against a  
wall. "This is not happening, is it?  
We just found the greatest threat to the  
entire world, because it can vaporize  
evil?"  
Again, Kyren nodded.  
"Then why is it bad?"  
Kyren took a deep breath before  
speaking. And when he spoke his tone  
was grim, his expression not showing  
any comfort.  
"Because," Kyren started. "When  
this was invented by both Druids,  
Jinna, and Tial, there was a  
corruption to the weapon as well as  
the order."  
Kyren peered at Kirae, then  
the vision came back to him, one that  
Bethany had shared with him. One that  
he would never forget.  
"Jinna!" Tial called,  
raising the weapon. "You know what  
happens next."  
"Yes, but I can't let you!"  
Jinna called to her once-friend.  
"The Comet will kill you, relieving  
us of your threat." Tial's finger  
laid down on the trigger of the small  
weapon.  
"You know what we did to that  
weapon," Jinna said, the faintest  
hint of fear in her tone. "You know  
what will happen not only to me, but  
to you. If for the sake of survival,  
Tial, don't use the Comet!"  
But, the finger pressed down, the  
exact amount of pressure needed  
to release the deadly barrage.  
Jinna was thrown backward, but the  
weapon was not done with its target.  
"And thus, the world was destroyed,  
not only by Jinna, and her Demons,  
but by Tial herself." Kyren finished,  
sighing as he did so.  
Kirae was speechless. She had  
no idea. All the books said  
that Tial, along with a group of  
Elementalists destroyed the Demon  
Queen, also known as Jinna. But,  
nothing had mentioned this, nor the weapon  
used.  
"But, what about the Elementalists?  
Were they not involved?"  
"They were busy fighting off wave  
after wave of the Demons that were trying  
to overrun the world." Kyren explained.  
"They had no part in the final between  
Light and Dark, when the Demon  
Queen was sent back into the Void  
from where she came from."  
"There's only one thing we can do,  
then." Kirae said. "We have to hide  
this piece of the weapon. We have  
to keep it away from anyone who might  
use it against the world again."  
"Prophecy says it will be  
used again in the true final  
battle." Kyren said, sighing through  
closed lips. "Which means, if we  
found this, that it comes soon. Though,  
you are correct in one of the steps we  
must take. We must ensure that the  
whole weapon is not completed.  
Thus, we will house this piece of the  
Cometline in the academy. Let  
us return to the ship." He started  
away, starting for the spiral  
staircase which they had taken down  
to their current location. Kirae, and  
Lokette had no choice but  
to follow him as he went.  
Back aboard the Tailwing, the  
trio sat looking out at the  
obelisk. Lokette had taken the  
helm, and Kirae sat on the  
metal railing, her legs dangling  
over the side of the airship. They  
were still grounded, and Kyren had  
insisted they stay, at least for a little  
while longer. When, finally, he  
announced they could depart, Lokette  
pulled back on a lever, making  
the ship lurch forward, nearly  
toppling Kirae over the edge.  
Luckily she managed to fall  
the right way, landing on the deck of the  
ship, her right arm being yanked  
violently as she fell. This arm  
had a hold of the railing, and  
unfortunately for her, the landing was  
not soft. She grunted as she  
fell, rolling, and letting go of the  
metal railing. She looked up  
as the sky raced to meet them, the sun  
shining down upon them.  
"Just tell me our next  
destination," Lokette said, smiling  
back at Kirae and Kyren, the  
latter kneeling beside Kirae,  
and helping her up.  
"We must return to the academy,  
or, I must." Kyren remarked.  
"What would you like me to do, sir?"  
Kirae asked, warming to the idea  
of calling him such a title.  
"You will continue the search. The  
base has to be out there somewhere."  
Kirae nodded.  
"So, where would you like me to drop  
you off at?"  
"I will be gone by morning." he  
remarked, sitting down near the  
center of the deck.  
As the day ended, the night passed,  
and the dawn approached, Kyren's  
presence just, vanished.  
When Kirae awoke, the ship  
was not moving, and she lay on the  
ship's deck. Lokette was  
asleep still, sprawled across the  
deck as well.  
Kirae stood, and started for the  
railing, hauling herself over, and  
preparing to go exploring, to see what  
she could find. But, it was not long  
before Lokette was behind her, her  
staffs held in one hand, stabbing  
down at the ground as if to help  
keep her balanced.  
"I spotted something just before we  
landed." Lokette informed her. "That  
is why I chose where we were."  
Before them, a layer of mist lay  
across the land, and passing through it  
revealed a massive structure,  
spanning at least forty feet wide,  
and over half that in height.  
Lokette craned her neck to look  
up at the monstrous building, a  
sigh of incredulity escaping her  
lungs.  
The great double doors open of  
their own accord, admitting their  
entry into the unknown abyss that lay  
beyond. Kirae was the first to enter.


	16. Safehaven

Kyren stood amongst trees  
with branches reaching high into the sky,  
arcing to form an arch for which he could  
travel through.  
Kyren sat in the clearing just beyond  
the arch, and looked as Bethany  
entered from another entrance.  
"You called me, sir?" she  
asked, sitting on a tree stump.  
"I need you to show me the visions  
of the past. I need to know more about the  
Cometline."  
"Sir?"  
"Please, Bethany." he  
produced the piece of the weapon,  
showing it to her. Bethany let out a  
gasp of confusion, and curiosity.  
"All right, give me your hands."  
Bethany held out her hands to him, which  
he grasped tentatively. She  
closed her eyes, and he did as  
well, letting the events of the  
past wash over them.  
Kyren watched as the land around  
him came into focus, trees  
sprouting from the ground, and the wind  
a soft gust blowing on Kyren's  
coat.  
The barren, battle-worn field  
he stood in was vacant.  
"Silent," Bethany noted.  
"Just like before."  
"What do you mean, like before?"  
"How do you think I brought you here?  
I can't take someone somewhere unless  
I've seen a vision." Bethany  
explained. "That's how it works,  
to prevent all knowledge being given to someone,  
someone that may have the wrong intentions."  
"I understand."  
The two started across the field as  
the roar of battle came to their  
ears.  
"Again, just like before. First silence,  
then the sound, and finally, the sight,  
and the smell. The smoke, the fighters,  
the fire, and the bodies," she  
shuddered, letting the sentence trail  
off.  
Kyren nodded, following as they  
began the trek forward. A dull  
roar came to his ears then, the  
sound of clashing, clanging, blades  
against blades, and the sound of death.  
"This was the last battle between  
Light and Dark. This was the battle  
that destroyed Earth entirely,  
bringing everything down. The cities,  
the villages, the towers, everything."  
Bethany sighed a sad sigh as  
she watched plumes of smoke rise  
into the air. "And all we can do  
is watch."  
The two stood for long moments,  
standing in pure silence as the battle  
raged on. Arrows flew, and a  
stray projectile flew straight  
through Kyren's body, with no harm  
done to him. Bethany explained that  
this was one of the things that was helpful  
when seeing the future or the past,  
no way of dying.  
All we can do is watch.  
Within the large structure,  
Kirae and Lokette wandered,  
keeping their pace slow, and making  
sure they were careful.  
"What is this place?"  
Lokette asked.  
"Keep your eyes peeled for  
anything. Kirae responded,  
pushing the question aside. She peered  
upward as something dripped on her  
head, but just continued on.  
"This place really gives me  
the creeps," her sentence trailed  
off, and Kirae could sense that the  
girl was shuddering.  
Lance held aloft, its blade  
ignited to reveal the path in  
front of them, Kirae led the  
way further, and further into the large  
building.  
Ahead of them, a staircase  
led up, and Kirae took it up,  
bounding up the stairs just as a  
noise was heard behind them.  
"Lokette?"  
Kirae had stopped as a  
clanging echoed through the structure.  
"Yeah?"  
"Did you knock something over?"  
"No, why?" Lokette was now  
beside her, and the light from the sword  
was out, leaving them in eerie darkness.  
"Because, if not, then I think  
we're being followed, or watched."  
The two stood in silence for a  
long moment, then finally, in unison,  
they said, "Or, both."  
Kyren watched as a large  
shape rose into the sky, rising  
higher and higher, a black mass  
of pure darkness.  
"Please tell me that was a  
plume of smoke," Kyren said,  
looking at Bethany.  
"I, I'm not sure,"  
Then the world began to rock,  
and to shake, the world around them, the world  
began to tilt, and turn, to break  
apart beneath their feet.  
"It would seem that this is the end  
of the world."  
A roar came from around them,  
all around them, as if they were  
surrounded. But, they saw no  
sign of who had managed to make  
this event occur.  
"We have to leave, now!" Kyren  
said, urgently tugging at  
Bethany's arm. "How do we  
leave?"  
"I'm working on it!" she said,  
her teeth gritted.  
Her hand closed around him, and the  
world went entirely white. For  
long moments all Kyren could hear  
was a piercing ring, and all he could  
see was white. And when it cleared,  
the sound and the sight, he was lying  
on his side in the real world.  
"So, we gained no valuable  
information from that vision," he said,  
sighing as he leaned against his rock.  
"I believe not. I must go,  
though, Kyren. I have some things  
that I must take care of. I  
believe there may be something in the  
Kir Drate Academy  
Archives that may be able to help."  
she stood, and started away.  
"Wait, Bethany." Kyren  
said, standing as well.  
She turned, and looked him  
in the eyes.  
"Please, do be careful. I  
will stay here, and I will attempt  
to recuperate, maybe maintain this  
place as our last resort."  
She nodded, then disappeared.  
Bethany sighed, gritting her  
teeth as she walked among the  
trees surrounding the forested clearing.  
But, where she went from there, was not  
where Kyren thought she was going.  
Kirae blinked as another  
clang was heard, then the sound of a  
door slamming.  
She started, slowly, up the  
stairs again, keeping Lance at the  
ready, but not illuminating the blade.  
"Stay close," she whispered  
to Lokette as they reached the top.  
Along the next floor, the  
two walked cautiously down  
long halls, passing darkened wood  
doors that stood closed.  
Behind them came the clattering  
of doors, objects falling,  
continuing. Their pursuer never  
faltered, every few seconds pounding  
on a door, or knocking something  
over. Finally, after a moment of hearing  
this, Kirae paused. The last  
clang, the clash of a metallic  
door, came from above, and ahead  
of them. This was followed was footsteps  
coming their way.  
"You know, I've been wondering,"  
Lokette muttered.  
"Shhhh," Kirae placed  
a finger against her lips, hoping the  
girl would get the message. But,  
she did not.  
"Why is it that, everywhere we go,  
there is no lighting?!"  
An arrow shot through the air,  
just missing Lokette's ear.  
Kirae pushed the girl to the  
ground, dropping down herself as  
well as three more projectiles  
flew through the air, passing them  
both. The final object landed with a  
thud, a thud that no one could  
associate with arrows, or  
bullets. But, it was human  
footsteps.  
"I have been waiting a long time  
for you to come to this place." said the  
figure, their voice  
unidentifiable.  
"Who are you?"  
The hooded figure lowered the  
cowl hiding their face. But, the  
lighting was too dim, in fact,  
it was pitch black.  
Getting the message, the  
figure lit a torch, the beam  
of light shining on her face.  
Now, there was no doubt about who  
this figure was: It was Bethany.


	17. Confronting Bethany

No!  
Upon attempting to strike at  
the woman before her, instincts having  
kicked in, Bethany just,  
vanished, into thin air. But, she  
was not gone long, for she reappeared  
behind Kirae, slamming a fist into her  
back.  
"There are so many things you should  
learn, Kirae," she taunted as  
Kirae fell to the ground.  
Lokette stood, her gaze  
fixed on Bethany, her mouth  
hanging wide. Kirae guessed  
that she was looking betrayed for  
Bethany just laughed, kneeling  
over her with a knife.  
"If you want to live, you will  
quit your search now. You will go  
home, go hide, for this world belongs  
to the master of all, Kalias!"  
Then, again, she disappeared,  
dust falling to the ground. No  
cuts, no bruises, yet, but,  
Bethany was gone, completely.  
"What?" Lokette asked,  
finally regaining control of herself.  
"What just happened?"  
"That was the assistant to the leader  
of the group I am in, and she just  
betrayed us." Kirae stated, doing  
her best to give the brief  
explanation.  
"So, what do we do?"  
"We track her down, and we  
kill her. Or, we capture  
her, and make her tell us the  
information about this, Kalias."  
Kirae stood, massaging her  
back, and grunting in pain.  
"Then, let's go!"  
Kyren sat in silence, listening  
cautiously. He could tell that  
there was something wrong. The nature  
of the area around him had ceased its  
daily routine, and it was as if the  
area was holding its breath.  
"Come in, Bethany." he  
said, pressing a button on the  
communicator on his wrist.  
"Bethany?"  
No response other than  
static, and the gentle sigh of the wind.  
"Kirae, are you there?" he  
called, switching to another  
frequency. "Kirae, come in,  
are you there?"  
Again, there was no response, which  
frustrated the Kir Drate  
Academy leader. He started  
for the entrance which he had taken  
into the clearing, and started away.  
He had to be fast if he were  
to catch who ever, or whatever, had  
the two so preoccupied.  
Down alleys, along empty  
streets, and soon Kyren came  
to an air field, filling with  
ships. Warships, merchant ships,  
any ship one could think of.  
But, the question was: Where were the people?  
"Kirae," he tried again, as  
he walked. "Kirae, I have  
some news for you."  
But, still there was no answer, and  
he just continued on.  
Static filled Kirae's  
ears, and that was the last thing she  
heard before blacking out entirely.  
When she woke again, Lokette  
was shaking her shoulder, peering at  
her with deep concern.  
"You're awake. It seems  
you're quite the one to pass out when something  
big is about to happen." she  
attempted a smile, but it  
faltered. Lokette spoke  
grimly as she helped Kirae  
to her feet. "You know that person,  
don't you?"  
"I thought I did." Kirae's  
voice was soft, almost as if something  
was preventing her from speaking. "She  
was, she was the assistant of  
Kyren."  
"And Kyren is?"  
"The leader of the mercenary group  
dedicated to saving the world, and  
they worship the Angel, Kir  
Drate."  
"Hence the group's name, am I  
right?"  
"I suppose so, I did not  
really ask."  
They started down the corridor,  
taking the route that Kirae  
suspected was the way out of the large  
structure. Lance illuminated  
their pathway once more, and the two  
made steady progress down the  
hall, down some stairs, and out  
into the evening sun.  
The airship stood before them,  
just feet away. It was not damaged,  
and it was standing tall.  
"Our route out is,"  
"No." Kirae stopped her.  
"We have to track her down, and  
do what we can to stop her. She has  
shown every intention of threatening our  
cause, that includes killing the  
remaining three emissaries."  
"Okay," Lokette said,  
taking a hold of the rope ladder  
leading up to the deck.  
"I hope you don't mind me  
tagging along with you, and you helping me  
in my task," Kirae said,  
an apologetic smile on her  
face.  
"I don't mind."  
Lokette began the climb  
up, followed by Kirae. And  
moments later, they were in the skies  
once more.  
"Kyren," Kirae said,  
pressing a button on her  
communicator. "Are you there?"  
"Ah, yes! Kirae!" Kyren  
remarked, his voice sounding  
relieved.  
"Kyren, we have some news for  
you. We have reason to believe that  
Bethany is working for Kalias."  
"What do you mean?"  
"She attacked myself and  
Lokette in our attempts to find  
their base. My thoughts are, I  
will track her down, and if she is  
working for our enemy, I will detain,  
or kill her."  
"Yes, that is understandable. Continue  
your search then. I will also attempt  
to track her down."  
Kirae nodded. "Understood."  
She sighed as she leaded against the  
back of the chair she sat in,  
looking out to the landscape that passed  
them by far below.  
Kirae looked back, to the time  
when she'd first taken flight, the first  
time her mother had taken her on an  
airship.  
"You will rarely use these," she  
had said, "Because when you grow up,  
you'll not need them."  
"But, can't they go really, really  
fast?" Kirae had asked, eager  
to fly.  
"Yes, but you'll be faster than  
the wind."  
Kirae had smiled at that comment,  
and the pair had taken off, flying  
high among the clouds, flying until  
darkness came.  
Her mother was a happier person  
then. And that was when her brother was  
still alive.  
She flinched as something tapped  
her on the shoulder. When she looked,  
it was not Lokette, as she thought it  
was, but a leaf.  
The remainder of the flight was  
spent in silence as night fell.  
They continued onward, pressing  
farther and farther, searching the land  
in its entirety. Finally,  
Lokette landed the ship, and looked  
back at her.  
"I think it's best to take  
shifts, so that we can sleep." she  
replied.  
"I'll take first. You need  
rest if you're the one flying."  
Kirae decided, but Lokette  
shook her head. "You need sleep,"  
Kirae argued.  
"But, you may need it too, if  
you're going to fight that woman."  
A quick look down at her wrist  
revealed a blinking message:  
COORDIANES ARE AS  
FOLLOWS:  
She read over the message just  
before it went dark, and she nodded.  
"I suppose. Wake me before  
dawn."  
Before laying down she informed  
Lokette of the coordinates she  
had received, and the other girl began  
to make preparations, explaining,  
"So that we'll be ready when the time  
comes."  
When Lokette shook her  
shoulder, Kirae was surprised  
to see no light above her. But,  
when she started to ask why, a hand  
came across her mouth.  
"Shhhhh," Lokette whispered  
in her ear. "Someone's coming to the  
ship. I doubt it's a friend."  
Her hand fell away, and she  
helped Kirae to her feet. The  
latter of the two drew her sword,  
keeping the blade dark.  
When the knock on metal  
came, it startled them both, but the  
two girls kept as silent as  
possible, letting the night's  
presence press against them, a  
silent pressure against their ears.  
Kirae, breath held,  
crept over to the railing of the ship,  
and began to peer down into the darkness  
below.  
As she peered down, she saw the  
faintest glint of something,  
metallic, just before it whizzed through  
the air, just passing her ear.  
Kirae jerked back as more of the  
projectiles came flying up,  
a zinging sound coming from below them.  
Lance came to life then, a  
warm pulse being sent through her  
body, vibrating her every bone.  
"I know," she murmured,  
calling forth an energy she did not  
know she had. Her hands sparked,  
and a flame danced on her fingertips.  
There was an audible gasp from behind  
her, evidently from Lokette.  
"You stay here," she commanded the  
girl.  
"There is no way I'm doing  
that. I'm going with you."  
"And what makes you the one  
to say that?" she glared at the girl.  
"This is a dangerous situation!"  
"I know this! But, an Elemental  
saved my life! And if what I  
am thinking is true, which I have all  
the proof I need," a projectile  
flew passed her, and she ducked,  
"I am staying where it's the safest,  
right next to you."  
Kirae grunted, then leaped  
over the railing, letting herself drop  
down to meet her opponent.  
Luckily enough for Kirae, Lance  
struck downward, a movement made  
by the sword itself, blocking a  
projectile coming right for her heart.  
"Now, that's not the way to face  
an opponent," Kirae taunted,  
landing just feet from the figure.  
Seconds later, Lokette was  
beside her, Lance still alight, and her  
fingers still glowing faintly. "So,  
how about I show you how to really  
fight?"


	18. The Duel Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you think will happen next? What will the outcome of this duel be? Feel free to comment your speculations, and your opinions!  
> Kirae, and Lokette are in a bind, but little do they know, help is fast approaching, and so is deathis...

Kyren blinked as a message  
came over his screen.  
Incoming!  
"Kirae," Kyren called through  
his communicator. "Kirae, can you  
hear me?"  
Please, answer!  
Kyren begged the girl to have  
heard him, he willed her to answer  
his call.  
"Kind of busy," a grunt,  
and a clang. "Fighting!" Kirae  
finished.  
"Bethany is on the move,  
Kirae," he called through the  
speaker. "I am tracking her  
myself, and I intend to take her  
out."  
"I wish you, the best of,  
luck!" more clangs. "But, we  
here have, our own problem."  
He blinked. "I am coming  
to assist. Send me your  
coordinates."  
"Kind of hard to, to do that."  
"I am coming anyway."  
Kirae slashed, and sliced,  
her sword moving quickly, even  
quicker than even she could keep track  
of. But, her opponent was even  
faster, parrying each and every strike,  
attacking even faster, slashing  
at Kirae's arms.  
What is her problem? If she  
can attack me, then why isn't  
she trying to kill me? she wondered.  
But, the hilt of the fighters'  
sword slammed on her left  
wrist, and she heard it crack.  
She grunted in pain, moving back.  
She had to be careful, if this  
girl could disable her, that would be bad.  
"Lokette, a little help?"  
"You've got it."  
A rush of wind, and Lokette  
stood before her, her back to Kirae,  
and in her right hand was a pair of  
staffs, blades at their ends.  
First the bladed weapon slashed  
this way, flipping around to block  
an attack, then it flipped again,  
and the blades were gone, the handle  
slamming against the other girls'  
weapon. For a moment she seemed  
to be retreating, but she came  
back quickly, slamming her sword  
into Lokette's staffs, pushing her  
back.  
Kirae watched the fluid  
movements of her companion as she  
moved, dodging blows that could have  
been deadly had they connected with  
Lokette's neck, chest, or  
other areas of her body, but the  
staffs did most of the work for her.  
"I suppose this is where I  
come in," she mused, coming alongside  
her newfound friend.  
Their blades began to move in  
unison, almost the perfect defense.  
And as they fought, neither of them  
realized who they were fighting, even  
as her face was shown many times during  
the fight. Though, to be fair, neither  
were looking at their opponents'  
face.  
Kalias a black shape  
amongst black shapes, a shadow  
amongst the night, watched the futile  
attempts as Zoin stood beside him.  
"The perfect seed has been  
planted. Now, we are assured  
victory!"  
Kalias smiled grotesquely,  
sharp teeth showing from his morbid  
maw.  
"How long before they realize the  
truth?" Zoin asked.  
"It will be some time before they do.  
But, that will be sufficient enough for us."  
They departed the night  
battlefield silently.  
Kirae, and Lokette backed  
away from their opponent, who did  
not advance for mere seconds. This  
was enough to let the two combatants  
catch their breath enough to keep them  
fighting.  
Kirae charged forward, Lance  
held aloft. When she swung,  
the wind burst around the sword,  
sparking with a small flame. She  
roared as she did so, slamming  
her sword against the other girls'  
sword, once, twice, then three  
times. Each clash of blades  
resounded throughout the night, rattling  
through Kirae's head.  
A pulse was sent through her body  
then, a message from Lance that  
seemed to say, "We can't win!"  
"We will win!" Kirae grunted,  
gritting her teeth as she pushed  
on her opponents' sword,  
as if forcing her back.  
The attack held, and time  
seemed to slow, just for a moment, and the  
figure whispered. And when the  
figure, the specter that stood  
before Kirae, whispered, it chilled  
her spine.  
"The Demon has already won,"  
Kirae began to groan in  
concentration, pushing with all her might  
against the sword before her, pushing  
Lance against its opposing blade.  
Neither combatant moved from their  
position for long moments.  
"Lokette!" Kirae cried.  
"I need your help!"  
"How can I help?" Lokette  
asked, her tone indicating confusion.  
"Kill her!"  
Kirae nearly lost her grip  
on Lance as she said this, but she  
stood her ground. It was a phrase  
that needed to be said. It was an action  
that needed to be done.  
"Kill her!" she repeated,  
and it was clear that Lokette was  
hesitating.  
But, before Lokette could do so,  
the blade slid from Kirae's  
own sword, and the phantom of a  
fighter stood before her, yielding  
for only a moment.  
Something told Kirae now would  
be good, the right time to kill this  
specter. Now would be the perfect  
time, while she had the chance. But,  
that's what made her hesitate.  
What was this fighter doing? First,  
no intention of killing her, or  
Kirae, then her unnatural  
speed. But, what was she playing  
at?  
"Who, who are you?" Kirae  
asked, panting.  
A moment passed, then the figure  
lowered her hood to reveal Bethany.  
Not the Bethany they knew, however,  
for her eyes were sunken and red.  
Her gaze bored into Kirae,  
as if a drill making an  
incision on her body, drilling  
deep into her neck.  
Then the hood raised once more.  
But, Bethany just stood where she  
was.  
"That is not Bethany,  
Kirae," Lokette said, fear  
etched in her voice. "That is not  
even human. She is a Demon.  
A soulless shell."  
Bethany lashed her, her  
sword slashing at Lokette,  
who blocked easily.  
"Now you realize what I have  
become," the thing rasped, its  
soulless eyes glaring at the two  
girls.  
Again, she lashed out, and this time,  
she did not let up on the fresh  
onslaught, her blade slashing  
and slicing, cutting at everything  
it could reach. Lokette backed  
away, being forced back as Kirae  
attempted to distract her. But,  
every cut, every little slash she made  
did no harm to the enemy.  
"She's right," Kirae muttered.  
"This is no human. No human  
has this kind of strength!"  
The two battled on, trying  
to keep this new monster at bay,  
but they were not able to match its immense  
power.  
"Kirae!" Lokette cried  
as Kirae toppled over. The  
figure that was the Demon advanced,  
her sword raised. But, Kirae  
was quick enough to dodge, rolling to the  
side.  
"I can't keep going like this!"  
Kirae panted, getting to her  
feet.  
"Yes you can. You must!"  
The two shared a brief glance,  
exchanging a sad smile. They  
knew that this battle would end in  
death for them both.  
Unless, Kirae invoked her  
abilities.  
"Wait a second!" she  
remarked, doing her best to maneuver  
to her companion. "I think I may  
have a plan!"  
Off in the distance, Kyren heard  
the clashing of swords, and far  
off in the receding night he saw the  
spark of a flame, the flash of  
fire, and he put more power into his  
airship.  
That must be where they are! he thought.  
The airship's engine roared as  
he flew, gaining speed, and letting  
the wind whip his hair back.  
Hang on, Kirae,  
Lokette, because the cavalry has  
arrived.  
Kyren moved one of his hands from  
the controls, and put it on the  
trigger of a large gun mounted on  
the railing.  
"Now, let's do this!"


	19. The Fires of Teamwork

"You are fools to think you can win!"  
the voice echoed through the air, a  
raspy whisper that chilled Kirae's  
spine. "I will run your endurance  
dry, and I will leave you for dead!"  
"Well, then, how about you prove  
it?" Lokette taunted, flipping  
her duel staffs. She caught  
them with a deft movement, and charged  
forward, crying a strange battle  
cry. The blades from the staffs  
spread, one to block the sword,  
the other making an offensive  
move, and that was when Kirae rushed  
into help. She sent a flame from  
her palm up the length of Lance,  
channeling her own energy into the  
sword.  
"Let's do this!"  
That was when the sound of gunfire  
came to her ears. Guns, and  
engines.  
"Get down!"  
The roar of the same gun tore  
through the air and bullets streaked  
across the ground, missing Kirae  
and Lokette, who had dropped  
to the ground. When they came to their  
feet once more, Kyren was standing  
beside them, his own sword drawn,  
and alight with ethereal energy.  
He struck quickly, his sword  
lashing out at the demonic figure,  
who made a swift movement,  
blocking him.  
"Don't leave us out of the fun,  
Kyren!" Kirae said, joining in  
the fray. Lokette, wielding her  
duel staffs came alongside her,  
and the two girls fought in unison,  
their attacks blending together almost  
perfectly. It seemed that they were  
the perfect team, meant to fight  
together. One would slash, and when the  
opponent blocked, the other would  
swoop in with a fierce strike that would  
push the fighter back. And Kyren  
was a team of two all on his own.  
His blade swung this way, and  
that, vibrating through the air with a  
hum that could only be associated  
with metal pushed to its limits,  
thrust through the air at an  
incredibly high speed.  
The demonic copy of Bethany  
staggered, finally starting to give way  
under their fierce assault, each  
attack pushing her slowly  
backwards, each attack piercing  
her thick armor of skin and clothing.  
"She's losing it!" Kirae  
announced, swiping at the girl.  
"We have her!"  
Bethany then began to glow.  
"You have only lost!" she hissed,  
an unseen force throwing her  
attackers back. "And now, you  
will all die!"  
In her eyes glowed something feral,  
something Kirae almost recognized  
from one of the scenarios given to her in  
her training days at home.  
"She's lost control of herself."  
she informed them. "We will soon have  
her!"  
"Let's press on!"  
The team of three charged forward  
with a renewed barrage of attacks  
at the ready.  
But, everything then stopped. Time,  
nature, even the combatants  
stopped as the ground began to rumble  
and shake. And up from the depths of the  
Earth came a creature of  
monstrous size.  
It rose from a crater, roaring  
loudly.  
"Kirae, look out!" as they  
watched, the creature stomped forward,  
a glittering claw raising high  
above its head, then arcing downward,  
ever down, toward Kirae.  
"Not this again," she grumbled,  
raising Lance, as if the sword could  
deflect the claw.  
The wind seemed to whistle in her  
ears, and her own blood began  
to pound. Maybe this was it, maybe  
this was where she died.  
In all of this, they forgot to keep  
an eye on the Demon possessing  
Bethany, whom began to sprint  
away.  
"If this thing is here, that means  
something very, very bad!" Kyren cried  
out. "That is very, very bad! Kirae,  
move, now!"  
When the claw slammed into the  
ground, stabbing the Earth where Kirae  
had stood just seconds before, it  
found the girl holding onto its  
claw for dear life.  
And that one simple move was one  
thing that none of the group, not even  
Kirae, had expected.  
The next thing she knew, she  
was swiftly rising, higher and higher  
into the air.  
"You have to be kidding me," she  
groaned, but she let the claw  
rise even higher.  
On the ground Lokette was  
hacking furiously at the creature,  
her duel staffs moving quickly,  
slicing at the legs of the great beast.  
Though, her eyes were trained on the  
sky, and the receding claw, her  
friend riding the tough skin of that claw.  
"Kirae!" she cried. "Hold  
on!"  
"Well, thanks! It's not like  
I have any other choice!" cried  
the girl.  
Then she began to fall.  
"Lokette!"  
Kyren stood on the Tailwing,  
his hand on one of the controls. "May  
I?"  
"Yes," Lokette said immediately.  
And then, the ship took off, powering  
up quickly.  
Kirae flinched as gusts of wind  
passed her, each gust startling her.  
But, the wind was all around, and any  
second now she was going to turn  
into scrap, dust, anything that meant  
she would be part of the ground, just another  
part of the Earth itself.  
"I'm coming to help you!" Kyren's  
voice came over her  
communicator.  
"Yeah, thanks, but I think,  
no matter what I hit, I'll  
die anyways!"  
"I have a plan."  
"Well, please explain!"  
Kirae could not refrain from shouting  
as loud as she could, for the wind was  
pounding through her ears.  
"Use your sword,"  
"Lance,"  
"Use Lance, and hook yourself  
onto the edge of the ship before I  
pass."  
She watched as the ship below her  
came into view, and rapidly began  
to approach. But, from the looks of  
it, she saw that the ship would pass  
her, not hit her. "You clever  
man," she muttered, letting  
Lance hook outward, the blade  
turning into what she needed.  
She reached out, the blade raised,  
and ready to hook onto the ship.  
Time passed so agonizingly  
slow that it hurt even to feel the  
wind as it passed. Each second  
that passed was feet, and feet that  
moved by, each accelerating toward  
the other. The ship racing up to meet  
Kirae, both having the plan in  
mind.  
"I hope this works." Kirae  
said, holding her breath.  
"Come on, come on!" Kyren  
murmured, racing up to meet  
Kirae.  
Meanwhile, Lokette stood,  
her staffs swiftly hacking and  
slashing at the great beast before her.  
None of her attacks were doing  
anything to harm the thing however.  
"Kirae! Hold on tight!  
I am maneuvering so I am in  
your range!"  
"Got it!"  
The sword slammed onto one  
of the railings, and Kirae nearly  
lost her grip on the sword as  
the ship began to slow down, and then,  
to lower.  
While there was a great beast on  
the loose, Kyren, the leader of the  
Kir Drate group, was happy  
to have saved Kirae from death at least  
once.  
"One problem at a time." he  
muttered as she climbed aboard.  
Then, to Kirae, "That creature,  
it's from the Void."  
"The Void?"  
"Yes,"  
"Well then. What are we going  
to do about this creature from the Void?"  
"We're going to kill it."  
Kirae blinked, looking at  
him in confusion. "We're going  
to kill it?"  
"Yes." he responded.  
Again, she blinked, the idea  
seeming impossible to her. She  
looked down at Lokette, was  
stood before the creature, hardly  
denting its massive legs. Then,  
the question came from her mouth. "How?"


	20. The Assassins' Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to learn just a little more of the enemy.

A girl sat in her rooms,  
alone, sitting in the same position,  
in the same exact spot, as she  
had done for the past twelve years,  
when her studies had first began.  
She would take her place before the  
desk in her room, and she would read,  
and read until the night came. Then  
she would lay down in the large bed,  
lay on the large mattress, and  
sleep the night away. Then it was   
up the next morning for the same  
ritual, for five days a week.  
But, today was different. Today,  
Reina could feel a change.  
Reina took her place before  
the small desk, sitting in the  
comfortable chair, and taking out one of  
her pencils. On the blank  
piece of paper on her desk  
she began to write. Her hand  
twitched as she vigorously wrote.  
Outside she heard a distinct  
clanging came to her ears, and  
she looked up, peering at the  
metal door barring her within her  
solitude. Not for the first time, Reina  
wondered what her father, Zoin,  
was doing in his group. But, again, she  
turned her eyes away, figuring  
it was none of her business. Her  
hand twitched again, and she began  
to write on the paper yet again.  
She wrote well into the night,  
this time not even stopping for sleep.  
She wrote, and she wrote,  
her hand not even stopping.  
She stood as a knocking came  
at the door, four pounds and the  
door opened.  
"Reina, I have been sent  
to retrieve you. Your father needs  
you."  
Reina Calligien nodded,  
starting to follow the woman that  
stood in the doorway.  
When she reached her father's  
chambers, his greeting was very  
unexpected.  
Kirae was still trying to recover  
from her near-death experience.  
Kyren — at the helm of the  
Tailwing, which she reminded him had  
no guns.  
"I know." was his reply.  
"If you know," she started,  
looking up at the great beast before them.  
"Then why do you say we're going  
to kill ?! And again, how?"  
"Elemental abilities."  
"What?"  
"You have possession of Elemental  
abilities, Kirae, and that is the  
only way to take this thing down.  
You have to channel your energy into this  
beast, and kill it that way."  
She swallowed, looking at  
Lance. "I don't even know how!"  
"Instincts will tell you how.  
Now, you must help your friend down  
there. I fear this thing will be ready  
to strike."  
"It's not made a single  
move against her!" Kirae  
protested. The creature that stood  
at least ten feet tall, and it  
looked more confused than offensive.  
Nonetheless, Kirae started for the  
railing. "Lower me down." she  
replied, taking a deep breath,  
and taking hold of the railing. After  
one more breath she heaved, and over  
the railing, down to the ground Kirae  
went. Lance flared to life in her  
hand, and Kirae arced the sword over  
her head. When she landed, the blade  
slammed into the leg closest to her,  
cutting deep into the flesh of the  
Demon. It roared in anger and  
pain, staggering. And as it staggered, the  
ground shook.  
Reina felt the tremor,  
her teeth chattering as she entered  
her father's chambers, watching him  
carefully.  
"Reina," he greeted. "Today  
is your lucky day. I have a mission  
for you!"  
Reina gasped, looking around  
the room in confusion. What was he  
talking about? What did he mean?  
"What do you mean?" she asked,  
swallowing.  
"I am unleashing my daughter  
upon the world, ready to destroy our  
enemy, and everything in her wake."  
Reina's hands drifted to her  
belt where a pair of knives  
were held in sheaths at her side.  
"I will." she remarked.  
"Your first target is a girl  
who seems to be rising in stature  
amongst the group. Kirae Fox  
relies on her sword to help  
her fight. It is said she can  
perform spectacular tricks  
during battle, but I have confidence  
you will best her in a fight."  
"I will do as you ask." Reina  
turned on her heel, and started  
away.  
"And Reina?" Zoin called  
after her. She turned, and he said,  
with a smile, "Do try to keep the  
blood off of your clothes."  
She nodded, and started off,  
exiting the building, and starting along  
abandoned streets. Nothing hindered  
her progress, but she felt when  
the ground shook yet again, causing  
her to stagger forward.  
She looked to the sky, and  
asked aloud. "What is going on?"  
Meanwhile, in an unknown  
place, far to the north of Kir  
Drate's academy, Kirae  
Fox, and Lokette Cooper  
stood side by side, their weapons  
raised as the beast raged before them.  
It roared, and it stamped its  
massive foot into the Earth as  
Kirae began to channel energy  
into the blade of her sword. It  
took a moment for the sword to begin  
glowing brightly, and Kirae felt  
an odd tingling sensation in her arms,  
making her tense.  
"Here, we, go!"  
She raised Lance high into the  
air, and began to arc the blade  
toward a leg of the beast.  
Then, something odd happened,  
something Kirae could not quite describe.  
The great Demon before them just,  
shrank, growing more humanoid  
limbs, and in one hand the Demon  
held a great sword.  
"Come at me, child."  
"With pleasure!"  
Kirae charged forward, her  
sword striking out, but the Demon  
was quicker, it parried, then bashed the  
hilt of its sword against Kirae's  
sword arm, pushing her back.  
And thus, the final battle between  
the two combatants came to its  
climax, the Demon against a  
new recruit for the Angel and  
her companion.  
She struck, and struck again,  
the blade of her sword charged with  
an energy she never knew she  
possessed. But, that energy was fuel  
for her, energizing her, and increasing  
her stamina, and her endurance. A  
flame ignited in her soul, and  
Kirae launched herself at her  
opponent, ready to strike from any  
side, ready to block as well.  
"Lokette," she called, landing  
before the Demon. "Got my back?"  
"You know it!"  
The duel staffs clashed together  
as Lokette stepped to Kirae's  
side.  
"We are, officially, the  
embodiment of victory," Kirae  
said as she launched a fresh  
assault on the Demon,  
Lokette fighting right beside her,  
their weapons moving in perfect  
harmony, another moment that came  
to Kirae's attention, and she thought,  
not for the first time, that they were meant to have  
met.  
The battle waged on for several  
minutes, the Tailwing, floating  
high above them. But, it was when the  
Demon completely disappeared that  
Kirae stumbled. In its place  
stood a girl. In its place  
stood someone that looked exactly  
like her.


	21. The Pains Of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How would you have reacted to seeing your brother die, again, right in front of your eyes? Only this time, you could do nothing to prevent it, or even to change events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting fact:  
> This chapter WOULD have been titled: Copy-Cat Brawl, but it was changed due to the circumstances of the chapter.

"Who are you?" Kirae asked.  
But, the girl did not respond  
with an answer. Instead, her lips  
moved, with no sound escaping. It  
seemed she was saying the exact  
same thing as her.  
"What do you want?"  
Her lips moved, mouthing the  
same question, but still no noise came from  
her lips.  
As Lance '" raised, so too was  
another sword, but her moves  
only mimicked those of Kirae.  
It was as if the woman before her was  
oblivious to Lokette completely.  
Every movement Kirae made  
was mirrored by the woman before her,  
every little slash, every feint to the side.  
"What are you?" Kirae asked,  
but the woman only mouthed the words.  
On her fingertips came a flame,  
a gentle spark of fire. But,  
next came the only difference  
Kirae could see. On the other  
woman's hand was the gentle glow  
of something blue.  
"Kirae, you're going to have to take  
a different approach to this fight."  
Kyren said through her communicator.  
"Thanks, but I know."  
"If she's mirroring your every  
move, then we will have to figure  
out how to lead it into a trap."  
Kirae blinked.  
How am I to fight myself? How  
is that even possible, an exact  
replica of myself, only  
opposite? Kirae thought with  
amazement, backing away.  
But, another thing happened that  
surprised her. The figure  
advanced. Then, when Kirae lashed  
out, the figure did so too,  
blocking her attack. The sparks  
of Elements were evident from both  
fighters as Lokette watched  
the battle that ensued. It was a heated  
conflict between a double, and it was something  
she could hardly follow with her eyes.  
"Meet your master," the figure  
whispered, her voice distorted.  
"Meet the Demon of all  
swords, Alcatraz!"  
"Did she just, say what I  
heard?" Kyren asked, having  
descended from the airship.  
"Mentioning someone called,  
Alcatraz?"  
Kyren nodded.  
"Then yes, you heard right."  
"That is bad," Kyren gasped,  
staggering just slightly.  
Kirae panted as she slashed  
to the left, then to the right. The sword  
she fought followed, but did not  
attack. Kirae feinted left,  
then slashed right, slicing overhead  
afterward. But, again the blade only  
followed her.  
It's studying my movements,  
Kirae observed as the sword  
followed her once more, following  
first one slash, a slice, another  
slash, then a stab. But, all the  
while, the wielder dodged each  
attack.  
Another onslaught, and the woman  
did nothing to prevent it.  
"You think your simple attacks  
are enough to stop me?" the voice asked,  
hissing at Kirae. "Well, if  
that's true, then let me show you  
what true power is like!"  
Then, the sword began to glow  
with dark energy, and Kirae gaped  
in horror as the blade began  
to move ever closer to her throat,  
a swift attack which she only  
had a second to dodge.  
She heard the audible gasp  
from Kyren and Lokette, and saw  
a blinding flash of light before her  
eyes, then, the clatter of metal.  
Then, she fell to the ground,  
unconscious.  
Stepping to the woman, Lokette  
raised her duel staffs,  
widening the distance between the blades.  
"You threaten her life, you  
threaten mine. And I will fight for  
her." Lokette blinked, confused  
at what she was saying.  
"Have it your way, child."  
Thus, the puppet-master  
emerged, a girl with long dark  
hair and eyes like that of a panther.  
"But, you're sure to regret  
that decision."  
The puppet, a mere hologram,  
dissipated into dust.  
The two fighters faced each  
other, weapons raised.  
"Be careful, Lokette.  
If she had the strength to use that,  
thing, she is surely a force  
to be reckoned with."  
"Oh, no need to worry."  
Kirae heard a voice as the  
darkness took over her senses.  
"You'll regret it, throughout  
all of time!"  
She heard this exclamation, but not  
where it came from.  
"Why does this have to happen  
to me, all, the time." she muttered,  
floating through the darkness. "I mean,  
so far, this is like, the third time  
this has,"  
"Kirae!"  
The voice was familiar. Very,  
very familiar.  
"Kirae, please wake up!"  
It was her brother.  
Her eyes opened to find him  
shaking her shoulder, whispering her name.  
"What is it?" she grumbled.  
"I told you I was telling the  
truth, now we're all going  
to die!" her brother glared behind him  
to a large window.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"They've found us! They've found  
where we hid!"  
"Klen, I'm not ready for your  
games, go back to sleep!" she  
hissed at him. "Or else I'll  
tell mom and dad."  
But, a pounding came to her ears,  
and for the first time that night, she realized,  
her brother was telling the truth after  
all.  
"We have to leave!" Klen remarked  
softly, his expression grim. "We  
have to go now!"  
"How do you expect us to escape  
something like this?!"  
Four knocks coming from their front  
door. It was soon followed by the  
opening of a door, and the footsteps  
of their warrior mother.  
"We wait for the right time." Klen  
said into the momentary silence.  
Klen padded over to the door, and  
peeked outside, into the darkness of the  
hall beyond. He breathed slowly as  
time passed them by. Even though she  
could not hear him, Kirae thought she  
heard Klen praying for, something,  
anything that could help them in this time.  
She remembered it all. This was  
the day that her brother died. This was  
the day her mother closed herself off  
entirely.  
Kirae got to her feet, and  
started toward Klen, ready to hear  
what was going on outside.  
The siblings jumped as a crash  
came from outside, then the clang  
of metal.  
"They've drawn weapons,"  
Kirae said. But, it wasn't she  
who said these words, it was the dream  
version of herself.  
"I must go and see awhat I can  
do to help," Klen said, opening the  
door.  
He was not much older than Kirae  
at that time. But, the boy had a  
certain aspect about him, a way  
of catching the attention of people, and making  
them like him.  
"No!" Kirae hissed. "You  
can't. If they're fighting out there,  
it'll be too dangerous!"  
"I have to, Kirae, don't you  
see?"  
In her spiritual form, Kirae  
blinked. But, this was different. He  
hadn't said that, had he? It was as  
if he knew what was going to happen!  
But, but he couldn't know! Could he?  
"You can't!" Kirae whispered  
urgently.  
Entering the hall, the two children  
raced to one of the weapon's racks the  
family had.  
"What is it you can do to help them?"  
Kirae asked her brother in one  
final attempt to change his mind.  
"I can fight. Mom and dad have  
been teaching me, as well as you, how  
to fight in case of situations just like  
this."  
The two grabbed weapons, and  
started for the front of the house where  
grunts, and clangs met their ears.  
At the top of the staircase,  
Kirae could see all she needed  
to see. The battle between her mother,  
a skilled warrior, and a masked  
man.  
This was the night of her brother's  
death all right, there was no doubt about  
it. And back then, she knew nothing  
of these masked men. Her mother refused  
to tell her anything about them, or where  
they came from, even what they meant  
to do.  
And the next moment, what she  
expected to happen, did. Klen  
leaped down the stairs, a sword  
in his right hand, its sheath at his  
side as if he were a professional  
fighter.  
"You've gone too far, woman!  
Recruiting your own children? Well,  
then we'll kill them too!"  
A masked figure separated  
from his partner, and raised his weapon,  
ready to cut Klen's skull apart.  
"No, Klen, look out!"  
His blade raised immediately,  
parrying the blow as if he knew it  
were coming.  
Kirae heard her own voice  
reverberating through emptiness, echoing  
back and forth throughout her mind, but it  
seemed nobody could hear her.  
Meanwhile, her dream copy,  
whatever it was, started down the  
stairs, an ominous blue blade  
in her hands.  
Suddenly, when she reached the  
floor below, the sword came  
to life. The blade glowed with a green  
light that surprissh the young girl  
holding the weapon.  
A third, then a fourth masked  
figure entered the house through the  
door that was obviously broken.  
And finally, from the staircase  
came a final figure, the final  
member of the Fox family. Gray  
Fox as he was called, his pale  
skin shone through the dim lighting as  
if he were a ghost. In his hands  
he held a scythe-like weapon with a  
crude blade in both hands.  
It was all a blur to Kirae,  
the next few moments, but the next  
thing she knew, the girl that was her  
younger self was battling two of the  
masked figures, fighting  
alongside her mother, while her father  
fought by himself. Klen was nowhere to be  
seen.  
"Mom, I am going to find  
Klen," she announced, disabling her  
opponent with a swift jab to the  
wrist.  
"Please, be careful."  
Her mother knew she could not stop  
her daughter, so she just agreed,  
letting the girl run off to find  
her brother. Kirae knew that the  
woman that was her mother was secretly  
praying for the children's safe return.  
But, little did she know, this night would  
be full of sadness, and surprises.  
But, that was when she was brought back  
to reality, to the real world, back to the  
present day, ten years later than  
her dream. She groaned as she  
heard the clang of metal on  
metal, then she looked up to see  
the rising sun to the east, and her  
new friend, Lokette Cooper,  
fighting on her own.  
At her side, Lance flared,  
a pulse being sent along her body.  
"Yeah, I know," Kirae said,  
unsure how she knew it, but knowing  
exactly what the sword had  
meant to say without words.  
She had to help Lokette.


	22. The History Of the Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the deal with Lance, the sword that Kirae inherited? This sword has the capability to commujcate with its wielder by signals of pulse, but what happened to the sword to give it that ability?

"I'm coming to help!" Kirae  
informed her friend, rising to her feet.  
Two things she noticed as she  
stood. One, Kyren was gone. Where,  
she was unsure? Two, she had the  
faintest hint of tears at the corner  
of her eyes. These she wiped away,  
having no time to mourn over the  
recreation of her brother's death.  
For now, she had to fight.  
"Fight for him," Lance pulsed  
through her body. "Fight for the one you  
lost. Fight to keep his memory  
alive."  
Reina saw the flash of silver  
before it struck at her wrist. But,  
the good thing was, she was wearing  
gauntlets with great endurance. She  
smiled as the two girls before her  
gasped in shock.  
"I am the woman with metal  
hands." Reina taunted, raising  
them to her opponents for their complete  
inspection. "But, that's not it."  
Reina leaned forward, smiling at  
the two girls. "I am going  
to kill you both with them." one hand  
clenched, and sparks danced on her  
knuckles.  
But, that was when she caught one  
of the girls' eyes. Her gaze  
was stern despite the childish  
look to her face. When they made  
eye contact it seemed that time slowed  
down, and it took Reina moments  
to avert her eyes, her knuckles  
sparking once more.  
"Now then! Where are my manners?  
I am Reina Calligien.  
Welcome," Reina pulled out  
a sword with a black glow to its  
blade. "Welcome girls,  
to your death."  
Kyren watched as the Kir  
Drate Academy came into view,  
looming over the land with a dominant  
feel, one could only associate  
with a menacing structure like this.  
Bricks jutted out in odd  
places, and battlements marked the  
highest level of the academy.  
What had triggered his return  
was actually a transmission, stating  
that the base had been infiltrated,  
all while the best of the best were out on  
a wild chase around the world for a base  
they hardly knew anything about. But,  
what the person on the transmission,  
Bishop it seemed, said afterwards was  
what had surprised him, and caused  
his almost immediate return.  
"Kyren," her voice was  
frantic. "Please, Kyren,  
listen to me! There have been some  
casualties, a trainer, a  
student and,"  
"Wait, which ones?"  
"Grai and Simeon  
respectively," her voice was  
gaining control, but she still sounded  
panicked. "And the last casualty  
that I've had reports of was,  
Bethany."  
Kyren landed the ship on one  
of the pads on the academy's  
battlements, and sat, his hands  
clasped before him in silent prayer.  
His longtime assistant, who had  
reportedly gone rogue, was now  
dead.  
But, that wasn't right.  
He hadn't fully contemplated  
the matter until his landing, and  
Kyren thought it odd that Bethany  
had gone away to the academy, but was  
seen attacking Kirae.  
Of course, if she was a  
traitor she could have gotten back  
in just enough time to bring friends, then make  
it look like they'd killed her but,  
no. That still didn't sound right to him.  
He got up, and started for the  
doors leading into the base,  
protruding from a pocket, an iron  
key with Kir Drate's symbol  
on it. He inserted the key in the  
lock, and turned. The door opened,  
squeaking on rusty hinges, and to his  
horror, Kyren saw the worst  
thing to occur in Kir Drate's  
history. He saw flames.  
Kirae was surprised to have stayed  
on her feet the entire battle.  
Logic would have suggested that again,  
she would pas out with another unknown  
reason, but here she was, standing  
toe-to-toe with this strange girl,  
their blades clashing.  
Meanwhile, Lokette was  
occupied with her own problems.  
This girl, Reina, had brought along  
another one of those copy-cat dolls  
of hers.  
Kirae flicked Lance's  
blade forward, standing firmly on  
both feet as Reina smiled,  
her own sword raised.  
Then they attacked, slashing  
and stabbing at each other. Both  
managed to dodge each attack  
and it seemed that both girls were  
equal in skill.  
"You think your pathetic  
attempts at beating me are going  
to save you? Well," Reina  
slashing, cutting at Lance's  
blade. "It's not working!"  
Lance flared, as if insulting  
Kirae's opponent, which made  
the fighter smile.  
"Ah, I see you have one too!  
Quite nice to see that they've not died  
out!"  
The two swords clashed, and  
stayed connected, an audible humming  
coming from the metal. "What do you  
mean?" Kirae asked, panting just  
slightly.  
"Well, child," Reina spat,  
glaring at Kirae. "Let me  
explain the true history of your  
sword."  
She didn't sound too pleased,  
but her hand gripped Kirae's  
surprising the girl as the world went  
white.  
Kyren took a hold of his  
sword, and began to venture inside  
the burning building.  
His pace steadily increased,  
and soon he was sprinting down one  
hall, along another, and up a  
staircase. He sprinted along,  
looking for any sign of life while  
all around him the building steadily  
burned away.  
"Bishop, where are you?" he  
called through his communicator.  
Only static responded.  
"Bishop!"  
A cough through the speakers, and  
her voice came to him. "I can  
tell you're in the base," But,  
the voice was deeper.  
"Bishop, where are you?"  
"You know where I am, Kyren."  
He ran, leaping up a  
staircase and coming into the main  
library of the academy. Before him  
stood a red-eyed copy of  
Bishop Elizabetth. And before  
her, her hands were clasped, dark  
energy swirling amongst her  
fingertips.  
Her gaze locked on his,  
and a grotesque smile creased  
her lips.  
"Ah, you have come," That same  
deep, malevolent voice stated,  
"I knew you would. You just couldn't  
resist. But, your curiosity will be  
your downfall!"  
Her hand raised, dark energy  
glittering between her fingers, and she  
hurled a dark sphere at him.  
The sphere hurtled through the air,  
and Kyren gasped as it slammed  
into him, throwing him against a wall.  
He slumped over as the figure  
laughed.  
"You," he breathed. "You are no,  
angel's emissary. You are, a  
Demon!"  
But, the figure only laughed,  
its eyes glowing a dark red, and the  
hands covered in dark energy. It  
laughed as it advanced on him with the  
gaze of a predator. It raised  
a hand, and prepared another bolt  
of darkness, channeling the energy  
straight through the arm, and into the palm.  
It held its palm out, and let  
loose a stream of darkness.  
Again darkness met Kirae as the  
white soon faded. She looked  
around the dark emptiness, and found her  
enemy standing near her.  
"What is this place?" she  
asked, her words reverberating through  
the blackness.  
"Welcome to the border of life  
and death, girl. Some are lucky  
to get more than one shot at going  
here, and me, I've gone here quite a  
bit!" Reina smiled. "Welcome  
to the entrance to Earth, Heaven, and the  
Void. Welcome to the Rift."  
Something flickered to her left, but  
then it went dark again. Kirae  
jumped at its appearance, then she  
blinked at its disappearance.  
"Ah," Reina said calmly,  
"We seem to be just in time to see  
the beginning."  
"The beginning?" Kirae glanced  
about her, her gaze flitting about the  
darkness in confusion, and fear. "The  
beginning of what? What are you talking  
about?"  
Reina's voice was the indicator  
that Kirae needed, to know that she was  
smiling.  
"Why, we've arrived at the very  
beginning of the Endless struggle.  
Welcome to the beginning of time!"


	23. The Endless Struggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of like reverse spoilers. Won't say where, but you'll find out who Lance is, sometime.

A girl wearing a blue veil,  
stood in the halls of the large  
stone structure. Before her was an  
altar carved out of pure gold.  
"I pledge to serve, mistress."  
the girl sighed through her veil,  
beginning to genuflect before the altar.  
This was one of the many temples  
established to worship the Angel,  
Kir Drate, and the girl had  
sought the sanctum for years.  
Ever since the end of the war, the  
girl had been looking for something,  
anything, to help her out, to bring back  
her sanity.  
And now she found it.  
In her hand, a sword was held,  
the talisman with which she had killed  
many of the Demons that had thwarted this  
world. Its blade was still soaked with the  
black fluid, dried now, but,  
black despite the many cleanings it  
had received.  
"Please, Kir Drate, I  
ask of you this one thing." the girl with a  
name she had long forgotten, said,  
laying the sword on the altar, and  
placing er hands on it. She  
intertwined her fingers, taking a  
deep breath, and she closed her  
eyes, imagining the great Angel of  
Light before her. But, the Angel  
said nothing as she came, her body  
glistening with faint golden trails  
of unknown energy.  
Finally, she spoke. She  
spoke, but it was not in the voice  
that the girl had anticipated hearing.  
The words she heard emanated through  
her mind, a connection only  
Angels and Demons could maintain.  
"How do you wish to serve me,  
human?" she asked.  
"By the Light of my soul, I  
wish for eternal service to you, the  
Angel," the girl began the pledge  
that she, like many, had said, to Ter  
into the worship of the Angel. "I  
pledge my eternal allegiance  
to the Light, to Earth, and to you, the  
Angel. I wish to serve,  
protect, and to be ever victorious  
in the struggles faced by Earth, and those  
I am sworn to protect."  
"Lift your sword, human,"  
the Angel stated calmly. "For you  
will get your wish."  
The girl blinked in wonderment  
and surprise. It was that easy? She  
felt her hands grasp her sword,  
and raise it into the air.  
"Henceforth shall you be known as the  
Holy Blade of Elements. You,  
are now a Light Spirit. You are  
the light half of the one they call  
Alcatraz, and until the end of  
time you shall reside within your sword."  
Moments later things went black  
once more, and it seemed an eternity  
before Kirae saw something, the faintest  
hint of Light.  
Before her, a sword hovered in the  
darkness, its blade rotating, and the  
entirety of the weapon glowing a  
faint blue. On the hilt of this  
sword, one which Kirae  
recognized as her own, lay an  
emblem that she could not quite make out. She  
did her best to move forward,  
hoping to get a closer look at this  
odd emblem. This was something she had  
not seen on the sword that was at her  
side.  
Then something came to her.  
Where was Lance?  
She felt along her side, a  
pang of panic rushing through her  
body, her breath increasing in  
speed as she found her sheath empty.  
Then the world went white, and back  
to reality she came, gasping for  
breath.  
"What, what was that?" Kirae  
panted, looking up as Reina  
advanced.  
"That was the history of your little  
friend there." she aimed her sword at  
Lance.  
"That wasn't Lance,"  
"No," Reina interrupted,  
"That was the beginning of your sword's  
life. It was ordinarily like any  
other sword, but it was given life,  
a spirit to help its fighter. Just like  
myself and Alcatraz."  
Kirae gasped again, staring at  
the sword Reina held.  
She had heard the legends of  
Alcatraz, the sword of pure  
evil. It was a sword that could not  
only cut, slash, slice, and  
stab, but cause intense pain to its  
victims with each attack. It was  
the ultimate weapon to kill someone,  
anyone, and to know that her enemy, standing  
before her, held said legendary  
sword, that was enough to terrify her.  
You have to keep it together, she told  
herself, holding onto Lance as it  
began to glow a faint purple.  
Traces of a pulse shuddered  
Kirae's sword arm. It was  
a message that only she could  
translate, as had been custom  
for her entire life. It was as if  
Lance was telling her, "I don't  
like this situation. It is very  
dangerous."  
She nodded to the sword, wishing  
she had an easier way of  
communicating with the sword. For now all  
she could do was hope that the sword  
responded, or could even hear her.  
On the inside, Kirae knew  
that the sword could understand her  
perfectly, though this feeling was a  
mere hunch. It was proven, however,  
by knowing the origins of Lance.  
"That human," Reina said, "The  
one you saw, is Lance."  
Her expression changed suddenly,  
and she raised the sword,  
Alcatraz, and stepped forward.  
"Now," she remarked, becoming  
business-like. "How about we finish  
what we started."  
"You do not realize our roles  
in life," the figure said. "You  
do not realize that we are pawns  
for greater beings."  
"What are you," Kyren coughed,  
then continued, "Talking about?"  
"We are mere pawns in the  
endless struggle between Light and  
Dark."  
Kyren lay on the ground,  
severely wounded after the attack he  
had suffered. His breathing was ragged,  
and he felt fire seeping through his  
body, as if his body was burning  
up.  
"We carry out the mission of our  
deity, be it the Demon, or the  
Angel," the figure continued,  
smirking at him as he lay on the  
floor. "And this is my mission.  
To kill you."  
The struggle never ends, Kyren  
mused, looking up at the figure as  
it raised its hand, readying another  
bolt of dark energy, readying  
to strike once more.  
Kyren couldn't exactly explain  
the blur of actions that occurred  
next, but he knew almost immediately  
that he was saved.  
A blur of blades caught his  
eye, and a figure, cloaked in  
green entered the room, hurling  
a pair of knives at Kyren's  
captor.  
For a moment, as the two figures  
confronted in a duel, Kyren thought  
he was seeing either stars, or two  
of the same person.  
All he could really say however,  
was, "How?"  
"Now then!" Reina said,  
licking her upper lip as she  
raised Alcatraz. Her  
business-like attitude disappearing,  
replaced with the attitude of a  
predator on the hunt.  
Lance pulsed a message  
to Kirae, one that was a little more  
difficult than usual to decipher.  
after a moment she got it.  
"Let the struggle commence. I  
am sorry, but I must use this arm."  
"No need to apologize,"  
Kirae grumbled as the sword  
flared to life. The blade swung  
forward, Kirae's arm moving of  
its own accord, swinging  
horizontally, deflecting an  
incoming strike from Alcatraz.  
Kirae gasped as the blade neared  
her once more, but Lance was thinking  
far ahead of her. Her own sword  
shot forward, a mere streak of light,  
slicing at the threat.  
A tremor rocked the fighters,  
Kirae losing her balance  
completely. She looked up to the  
sky as she lay on her back,  
and for the first time, she realized that there  
was no sound coming from where Lokette  
had been fighting.  
"Lokette!" she called out,  
scrambling to her feet. She  
caught a smirk from the corner of  
her eye as Reina began to walk  
away. Kirae wasn't sure why,  
but half of her mind urged her  
to race after the girl, to strike her  
down and kill her, and the other half  
told her to stay, to find Lokette.  
It was the latter part of her mind  
that she listened to, starting off in  
the direction she thought she should search  
first. Though, there was anywhere in the world  
that Lokette could be located, having  
an airship there was no telling where  
she could be.  
Soon, Kirae found a cave,  
and inside stood, of all people, the one  
she was looking for.  
But, there was something wrong with her.  
In her hands was a broken piece of  
metal that looked to be rusted. And  
her face was blank, and pale. It  
seemed that, it almost looked like she was  
stone.  
Kirae entered the cave, and went  
to her friend.  
"Lokette?" she asked, touching  
her arm. But, the flesh was cold.  
Stone cold in fact.  
She looked to Lokette's  
eyes, which were half-closed.  
It was official. That was all the  
proof she needed.  
Lokette Cooper, a girl  
she had barely gotten to know, had  
been turned to stone. Horrified,  
Kirae realized that there was nothing she  
could do to save her.  
She was as good as dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope you're enjoying this story! I do not plan to end this series any time soon, there's a whole world for you to discover, filled with many, many mysteries!


	24. Stone-Cold Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What more could you expect from these things? Kirae and Lokette are in a bad situation, but there's one way to solve that problem.

"Come back, immediately!" the  
voice on her communicator barked.  
It was obviously her father, Reina  
knew. "The fortress is ready,  
and we are taking to the skies."  
"What about the Sanctuary? Would  
it not be wise to hide there?"  
"That place is impenetrable,  
yes, but we have to test the waters,  
see if the children that rival us are  
really ready to play at our  
level."  
Reina could almost see the smirk  
on his face.  
"I am on my way, father."  
she remarked, ending the transmission,  
and starting away from where she had fought  
that pitiful girl.  
"Lokette?" she heard the  
girl call out. But, Reina  
Calligien continued walking,  
keeping her pace steady as she   
turned east along the great plains  
that marked the border of the Thekinnel  
Plains and Thekadreis. She  
would have a lot to report to her father,  
and the Demon he served. All in  
good time.  
Zoin sat in his chambers as  
Reina strolled in, her expression  
blank.  
"What did you learn?" he  
asked, reclining in a chair.  
"Nothing. That girl was a nuisance  
if anything at all. I'm  
surprised they let her into that  
"Academy" of theirs," Reina  
spat in disgust.  
"Kyren has gotten  
desperate." Zoin muttered,  
sighing. "But, nonetheless, we must  
report to Kalias to see what  
our next move is. What was the  
girl doing when you left her?"  
"Searching for her friend. I  
suspect she was caught by one of the  
Sphinxers in the cave she  
wondered into." The first trace  
of emotion seeped through Reina's  
placid mask, the faintest hint of  
amusement. "Even she was weak!"  
"Again, desperate." Zoin  
said, standing. "Come, we must consult  
Kalias."  
Reina nodded, and followed him  
from his chambers, along twisting  
corridors, down many flights of  
stairs, and into the cold, dark,  
and damp rooms of the Demon that  
resided in one of their many bases.  
Kyren made a move to genuflect  
before one of the doors, but a black  
mass seeped through the door, and  
grabbed him by the throat.  
"You lied to me!" the voice  
hissed. "You said there was no way  
they could know! You said we were all  
safe!"  
"I thought," Zoin gasped, but  
he was interrupted.  
"You were incorrect!" Zoin's  
body was hurled across the room, and  
then the Demon turned its gaze  
to Reina. "Do you realize what your  
father did, girl?" the Demon  
asked.  
Reina averted her eyes as she  
sputtered, "N-No s-sir,  
I-I don't."  
"He let them find us, which should  
have been impossible! Now, they know  
where to go! And you can bet, they will be  
here soon!"  
Kirae founded herself facing a  
stone creature just as she was walking  
to the exit of the cave. The statue  
was not moving, but it caught her  
attention, seeming peculiar, and out  
of place in a dank cave such as  
this.  
When she placed her hand against the  
stone that made up the sculpture  
it seemed to roar to life, a great  
beast waking from dormancy.  
The stone creature bared stone  
fangs, glaring at Kirae with dead  
eyes.  
"Why do you wake the dead who  
savor the peace of this dark place?  
Why do you disturb our eternal  
peace?"  
Kirae stood frozen in  
place, paralyzed with an emotion  
she could not exactly understand.  
Mild fear? Utter terror? She  
was not certain.  
The creature stepped forward,  
stretching out a gray hand, and it laid  
its fingers on Kirae's arm. She  
jerked back just slightly, terrified  
now.  
The fingers that lay against her skin  
were ice cold.  
The creature of pure stone  
gripped Kirae's arm, and the cold  
seemed to seep into Kirae's body,  
curling within her mind, and her heart like  
the coiling of a snake.  
"You must sleep," the voice  
whispered. Kirae tried to fight it  
as the command took hold of her like those  
icy tendril on the hand of this  
monster. She tried to stay awake,  
tried to keep her eyes open, but they  
were slowly shutting. As if with an  
unknown instinct, she pressed the  
button on her communicator.  
"K-Ky," she started. "If  
y-you c-can hear this, I-I have  
c-coordinates." then, as she hit  
a final button, sending her  
location to the leader of the Kir Drate  
Academy, her eyes closed  
fully.  
"If y-you c-can hear this,  
I-I have c-coordinates."  
Kyren sat against the wall,  
pondering the cryptic message,  
and the set of coordinates.  
Why would she be there? Hadn't she  
heard the stories, the myths of the  
Sphinxers? Those ice-cold  
deities, not quite Demons, but  
certainly not on the side of the  
Light. They lured their victims  
into the cave which they could never leave,  
and with only one touch they could command  
your entire body.  
At least, that's what the stories  
said. They also told of how the  
victims would react to the freezing  
of their entire body, the shutting  
^own of every system, the heart, mind,  
muscles, everything.  
Then, in one hundred years, that  
person would become the same as  
the creature whom had touched them before.  
It was said that nobody could  
escape the caves once they had  
entered.  
And if this story was truth, then  
Kyren would be the first to break it.  
But first, he had to find out what  
had happened to that darker version of  
Bishop.  
He found her, leaning heavily  
against a wall, outside the library.  
"You saved me," Kyren noted,  
placing a gentle hand on Bishop's  
arm.  
"What else would I have done  
for the leader of this academy? We'd  
be lost if it weren't for you."  
"And I would have been lost without your  
help," Kyren reasoned. "I think  
I know my successor now." he  
smiled kindly at her.  
"So, what are we going to do?"  
Bishop asked. "Our base is on  
fire, our people are distraught, and  
Bethany is missing."  
"Kirae, and Lokette, have gone  
into territory that is dangerous.  
We'll have to move everyone to the  
safehold."  
"Safehold? What safehold  
are you talking about?" Bishop asked.  
"In the Forest of Naai, there  
is a clearing. And in that clearing is  
a small door. You will be the leader  
of the group heading there, today. Pack  
your things, because you will have exactly  
twenty minutes. If Bethany is  
not found by then, wait," Kyren  
paused.  
"What?"  
"You said," Kyren took a deep  
breath, "You said that Bethany was  
dead."  
"No I didn't." Bishop  
blinked in confusion. "I haven't  
spoken to you since yesterday."  
"Then," the two stared at each  
other as they both said, "Who was it?"  
Reina gasped for air as the  
Demon began to suffocate her, his  
claws raking her skin as sheer  
force bore down on her throat.  
She could not breathe, she couldn't  
even try despite her efforts.  
She struggled futilely as her  
gaze wandered over to her father.  
She tried to mouth one last thing as  
the blackness overcame her, she  
tried to tell him she was sorry,  
but no words came out.  
Instead, she was pulled down,  
down, deep into unconsciousness  
where she floated for what seemed an  
eternity.  
A thud signaled that she had hit  
the ground, but Reina felt nothing,  
no pain, no emotion, as time  
slipped by.  
Lokette felt water around her.  
Or, some sort of liquid that was  
pulling her down into an unseen  
abyss.  
She saw Kirae's body  
floating through the muck, just the faintest  
glint of light on her wrist.  
Lokette began to swim upward,  
pushing with all her might against the  
currents that dragged at her feet.  
She pushed, but the efforts were all  
in vain.  
"You are a strong one, girl,"  
a voice hissed in her ear. "I  
was surprised your will let you come  
into this place of death and despair."  
Lokette was not sure if the  
voice was talking to her, or her  
almost lifeless friend, but she knew it  
had to be one of the two.  
She tried to speak, but couldn't  
open her mouth.  
"Now, children of Earth, you shall pay!"  
A beam of energy began to glow  
in the water a phosphorescent glow  
coming from deep within the liquid. And as  
it rose, the temperature began  
to rise, steadily growing warmer, and  
warmer. Lokette saw, as she herself  
struggled for the surface, struggling  
to breathe, Kirae begin to move,  
to struggle as well. Her jerking  
movements frantic, but futile.  
That's it, Lokette thought to herself.  
We have to escape, we have to.  
Then the light enveloped the pair  
and everything went white.  
When Lokette opened her eyes,  
and her mouth, she saw before her,  
Kyren, holding a torch just beneath  
Kirae's arm.  
"Come on," he whispered,  
turning a little dial on the side  
of the torch. "Please, wake up!"  
"Um," Lokette said  
tentatively, holding the metal  
object she'd almost forgotten she  
had picked up.  
She had come across it in the depths  
of the cave after trying to track down  
that odd fighter. She had fled into this  
place, and Lokette had followed,  
coming across this odd, rusted piece of  
metal. She had no clue what it  
was for, she had taken it, and started  
for the exit once more, not hearing the  
footsteps of the fighter she pursued.  
That was when the creature confronted  
her, and turned her into, into stone.  
"Kyren," Lokette said  
slowly. He did not look up.  
"I think I found something you'll  
want to,"  
A gasp for air, and Kirae  
was struggling, nearly toppling to the  
floor.  
Kyren caught at her arms,  
and held her steady. "Kirae,  
are you all right?" he asked,  
keeping her balanced.  
"Yeah, I," Kirae looked  
upward, "I think."  
Kirae looked to the two people in  
the cave with her, and wondered for the  
first time, but not for the last, how she  
had been turned into stone.


	25. The Fortress Of the Demon Cult

Kyren, Bishop, Kirae,  
and Lokette sat aboard the  
Tailwing, which was gently humming as  
Lokette powered through the skies about  
Thekadreis, the capital of the  
Pyruspher Empire.  
Each member of the trio was left  
to their own thoughts, thinking over the  
plans.  
Before they had left, aboard  
the Tailwing, Kyren had informed  
them of a message giving them exact  
coordinates to the base of their  
rival, Kalias.  
Kirae was hesitant to believe  
it, but they had gone airborne  
moments after the announcement, armed  
and ready for the battle.  
"Shouldn't we alert other people?  
Shouldn't we get reinforcements?"  
"We will not need it, at least,  
not for an excavation of this sort."  
"We're flying an airship  
over to their base! Who wouldn't be  
a little, prickly?"  
This was the conversation before they left.  
They had been silent ever since.  
Kyren signaled to Lokette,  
tapping the railing he stood beside.  
"We will land here." he stated,  
and Lokette nodded.  
"Landing in five, four, three,  
two," the ship thudded to the ground in  
a patch of brush. "One."  
"We're here?" Kirae asked,  
standing from her position beside a ladder  
leading into the ship.  
"We are."  
"Then, what's the plan?"  
"It's an excavation, we must  
be stealthy."  
"Got it," Kirae remarked,  
walking to the railing. She hauled  
herself over it, and landed on the ground  
below. Lokette soon followed,  
then Kyren, all three making their  
way toward the large fortress looming  
high above them.  
"Fortify everything!" Zoin  
commanded, watching Reina work. She  
had been ordered to train every skill  
she had.  
_Every was currently wielding two  
daggers, the blades flitting about  
through the air. And it was when she was  
switching weapons when the doors  
banged open. A stern looking man  
entered, his expression grim.  
"Have they come?" Zoin asked, standing  
to meet the man.  
"They have arrived, yes." the man  
replied.  
"Then we shall await them,"  
The man nodded. "Shall I go to my  
post?"  
"Yes." Zoin nodded, and  
took out the sword, Alcatraz,  
which Reina had returned to him when  
she had returned.  
There was no need for evidence that  
Zoin was going for a kill when he  
encountered his enemy.  
Kirae sneaked over to the door,  
and looked up.  
"No sightings from above."  
"We already know." Kyren said.  
"Lokette informed me as we landed."  
Kirae peered at Lokette.  
That was a fair distance away from where  
they'd landed. The girl must have  
extreme vision.  
The trio entered through the large  
pair of doors. The doors themselves  
led onto the upper landing of a large  
staircase. The hall below them was  
dimly lit, shadows lurking just  
outside the light.  
"It could be an ambush," Kyren  
said, looking down the stairs. "We  
must take all precautions.  
Lokette," he turned to her.  
"Yes?"  
"Would you mind being the protector  
of us all?"  
"All right with me." Lokette  
remarked, and started down the stairs  
first.  
Kirae followed, Lance in her  
right hand and at the ready. And finally,  
Kyren started the descent,  
stepping cautiously on the stairs,  
and making slow progress.  
He had been in too many  
situations where there were traps laid  
everywhere, traps ready to kill someone  
at any second, any moment,  
any time at all.  
The group started along the hall  
in the same formation they'd entered in,  
with Lokette in front, and Kyren  
in the back, and they would enter  
battle, when it came, just like that.  
"Are you sure you can deal with these  
intruders?" the voice of Kalias  
hissed in Zoin's ear. The vapor  
of the Demon had come with him from the  
levels below to see how they worked on  
something like this.  
"I am sure, sir," Zoin  
responded.  
"Then we must press the  
assault, attack now!" Kalias  
hissed.  
"But, sir," Zoin began.  
"While they are distracted, led  
to believe that we don't know they're  
coming, do not question me!"  
Zoin finally nodded, having  
contemplated the idea. But, he  
knew Kyren. He knew the leader  
of his rival group. And he knew  
that Kyren would expect anything, and  
everything. So, why not give him something  
he'd never suspect Zoin to try.  
"Reina, come here." he commanded the  
girl. She obeyed, sheathing her  
sword. She stood before him just  
seconds later, looking over his  
shoulder. She was one of the few that could  
see Kalias's vaporous form.  
"What is it you need of me,  
father?"  
"We are in need of an  
illusionary decoy with your  
capabilities."  
"Mine?"  
"Yes, Reina. You are the only  
member of this group that has the  
ability to make illusions. And  
since your training, you've grown  
better at them. That's why I am  
asking you to go to meet our guests,  
as an illusion, and lead them in the  
wrong direction. Give us enough time  
to strike from behind." ZOIN explained.  
"Yes, father." Reina said, nodding  
her head as she turned to go.  
She left the room, walking  
steadily along first one, then another  
corridor, making her way toward  
the most obvious way to enter this  
fortification. And indeed, once she  
got close to the long hall she  
heard footsteps. That's when she  
went into a conveniently-placed  
alcove, and began to work what others  
would have called magic, casting an  
illusion on herself.  
"I hope this works." she  
murmured, stepping out into the  
corridor once more.  
She turned the corner, with a  
hood pulled over her head. She  
peered to the trio from Kir Drate.  
"You are invading territory that  
is not yours." she said, her voice  
a mere hiss on the wind. "Leave  
now, or perish."  
"We will not leave until we've  
come to what we need." the man,  
Kyren, said. She recognized  
the two girls as those children that she  
had fought. Pitiful children, worthless  
and weak.  
She watched carefully as one  
of the trio stepped forward, drawing  
the duel staffs that Reina had  
seen her use before.  
"You think that scares me,  
pathetic girl?" Reina hissed.  
"This is the mighty weapon of the  
Coopers. We used it to slay  
Demons, and you, I will slay, right  
here, right now!"  
Reina smirked as the ends of the  
staffs lowered quickly. But, her  
gnarled hand stretched out, and grabbed  
One of the ends, stopping the movement  
entirely.  
"What would you do then, without your  
precious weapon?"  
And with the flick of her wrist, with the  
ease Reina would have never guessed  
she could muster, even under an  
illusion, she threw the pathetic  
girl across the hall. She slammed  
to the ground, her head thumping against the  
far wall.  
Inwardly she smiled as the other  
two members of the intruding trio  
gasped, and ran over to aid her.  
"Leave now," Reina hissed,  
her voice just louder than a whisper.  
"Leave now, while you still have your  
lives."  
Kirae turned to look at the  
hooded figure that had physically  
thrown Lokette only moments  
before, and she glared at the figure.  
"How about, no?"  
"No?" the figure hissed, and  
Kirae could sense this Demon  
flinching beneath its hood.  
"Yeah, no."  
"You will die,"  
"Well then, bring it on!"  
The figure lunged, a large  
bladed weapon in one hand. It  
stopped mere inches from Kirae, the  
blade at her throat.  
Kirae locked eyes with the  
demonic creature, and gasped.  
"I knew you were evil, but I,"  
she started trying not to breathe. "I  
never thought it would be you."  
Kirae recognized the figure  
beneath the hood, she recognized it  
well.  
The figure flinched again, pulling  
back her weapon.  
"You know me," the figure  
hissed.  
"I do,"  
"Then, speak my name."  
"You're," she stopped, the words  
stopping in her throat. "You, I,"  
"Speak my name!" the figure  
ordered.  
Kirae gasped, taking a deep  
breath as she began to speak. "But,  
you're dead! I saw you die! I  
saw your body burn! I saw  
you, Klen, dead right before my eyes!"  
Everyone looked to Kirae as  
she promptly sank to her knees.  
"You died while I tried to save  
you! I saw the life disappear from  
your eyes, Klen Fox. I saw  
you, my brother, die."


	26. Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must apologize for the error in chapter 24. But, Bishop was completely blocked out of it. I'll put her in, somehow. (Note: This is only a first draft, and it will be edited sometime soon.)

Everyone looked to Kirae as if she  
had gone absolutely insane, bent  
before the hooded figure. Reina was  
the most shocked out of them all. She  
hadn't expected such a reaction to the  
illusion. She did not even intend  
to impersonate someone that was that close  
to her enemy.  
As if on cue, her features  
began to shift, to elongate ever  
so slightly. Her facial  
features soon looked like that of a  
snake as she peered down at  
Kirae Fox.  
The girl finally stood, but she  
was on wobbly legs, Reina could  
tell.  
This battle will be absolutely  
easy! she thought as Kirae pulled  
that sword of hers from, Lance its  
sheath.  
"You too, I suppose?"  
Reina's voice still hissed to her  
foes. Reina glared at Kirae  
through her hood, and Kirae met her  
gaze with a steady glare of her own.  
The two stood there for what seemed  
to be an eternity. But, finally  
Kirae turned to look at Kyren,  
who was tending to the other girl's  
wounds.  
"You go, Kyren. I've got this  
one." and she turned back to Reina,  
and raising her sword, she charged.  
The battle was over within a  
moment, Kirae spinning around in  
confusion as her foe disappeared  
completely.  
"Where did she go?" Kirae  
asked, rushing to Kyren.  
"I'm not sure," he  
responded, standing.  
The two turned in unison,  
their gazes coming across a shadow at  
the end of the hall, lingering just long  
enough to be seen.  
"Be careful, Kirae,"  
Kyren said gravely. "I know you  
are going to go after who ever that was,  
but please, be careful."  
Kirae nodded, starting to dash  
off. "Please," she started, just  
before leaving. "Take care of  
Lokette."  
Kirae realized then, that she  
was going into unfamiliar territory,  
and she would possibly not survive.  
Oh, that only invigorated  
her, urging on.  
She started along the hall,  
lumbering after the shadow which retreated  
into the darkness. Lance pulsed  
faintly in her hand, a plow and  
constant vibration through the sword, and  
Kirae herself. She would find this  
strange person, the one who wore  
her brother's face, and the one who  
tricked her. And she planned  
to kill this enigmatic creature  
with her own blade.  
Kyren leaned over Lokette's  
unconscious form, heaving a deep  
sigh of relief. He rocked  
back onto his heels, watching  
his surroundings carefully. He  
had checked the girl many times,  
checking her vital signs, and  
checking to see that she still lived. And  
indeed, Lokette Cooper was as  
strong as her ancestors, durable  
to the core.  
Soon, the girl lying before him  
finally gasped for breath, sitting  
up. her hair was matted to her head,  
and sweat beaded on her forehead as  
she focused her gaze on Kyren.  
"I'm, alive." she said,  
a little curious, and bewildered.  
"You are." was his response.  
"Where's Kirae?"  
"She's gone to take out our  
foe. That person was supposedly  
her brother." Kyren informed, helping  
her to her feet.  
"I heard. I was, not  
necessarily unconscious, but I  
was asleep." she remarked. She  
let Kyren pull her to her feet,  
and smiled thankfully.  
"Are we going to follow her?"  
Lokette asked a moment later.  
"Do we need to help her?"  
"We will only see. Time will  
tell us what we need to do."  
That was when they felt the entire  
fortress shake, and shudder.  
It rocked, and the pair could  
hear even the walls creak due  
to the unnatural causes.  
"What, what was that?" Lokette  
asked, looking down the hall,  
ironically in the same direction  
Kirae had gone, not that there was much  
else to go.  
"We best be on our way,  
Lokette. Can you walk?" she  
nodded. "Then we must hurry, for  
I fear the worst for our ally."  
Again, Lokette nodded, and the two  
began to sprint down the hall.  
Lokette had regained quite a bit  
of strength, even after her short  
spell of sleep, and the two made  
quick progress through the base,  
running along twisting corridors,  
and through large pairs of doors. When  
they finally found Kirae, she was  
kneeling on the floor beside a  
hooded figure. She was panting,  
and in between breaths Kyren could make  
out the words, "No! Please, no!"  
Kirae heard the two people kneel  
beside her, both placing a hand on  
her shoulders.  
"Please, no!" she murmured,  
her voice cracking slightly.  
"I can't, I just can't have!"  
"What did you do?" Kyren's  
voice came into her head. But,  
she could not hear him.  
"Kirae?"  
"I killed him. Forget the  
past, I killed him in the present,  
with my own sword!" she murmured,  
gasping.  
But, there had to be some illusion,  
something to tell her that this was not happening  
to her. She begged everyone, everything,  
she could think of, to tell her this was  
not true, but nothing greeted her  
plea.  
Finally, she heaved a sigh, and  
slumped back, just as something shook  
the fortress through its entirety.  
Kirae looked at her  
companions, having come out of her  
pleading state of mind. But, the  
figure on the floor, the one she'd  
stabbed, was gone.  
"Kirae, we have to move, now."  
Kyren said as the fortress shook  
violently, bricks tumbling to the  
floor from the walls, and the ceiling.  
The three stood, Kirae on  
wobbly knees, and they started for the  
door. But, Kirae stopped as  
something hissed in the back of her  
mind.  
Words, she thought. Words that she  
could understand.  
"I will bring you down with me," the  
hissing said, and then, the smell of  
fire came to them.  
Kirae wasn't sure how the  
climax could have come, and overwhelmed  
them all, but it did, and fast. The  
next moment they were out in the  
corridor, amongst other people, who  
glanced at them strangely. One  
even tried to grab at Lokette,  
brandishing a knife.  
"Intruders! Kill them!"  
"Great," Lokette mumbled,  
pushing passed a pair of men.  
"Now's the time to run."  
Kirae nodded, grabbing a hold  
of Kyren's wrist, and doing the  
same with Lokette.  
Please, mother. Have faith in me,  
she thought to herself. I will not fail you!  
So, pulling her friends along behind  
her, Kirae ran for her life,  
her long legs, despite feeling  
like lead, pumped along the  
corridors, sending them far  
ahead of the crowd, which had set its  
sights on them.  
They had noticed because of the cry  
to kill them.  
"Kirae, slow down!" Kyren  
panted from behind her.  
"If I do, they'll catch us!  
Just trust me, Kyren! I've  
got this!" she shouted over her  
shoulder. And indeed, she felt she  
had the true energy to outrun a whole  
mob of enemies.  
Running, barely taking breaths,  
Kirae Fox sprinted along first  
one, then a second, and soon a  
third corridor, traipsing up  
a staircase, and along another set  
of halls that twisted and turned  
so wildly it was hard to keep track  
of. Finally, they stopped just outside  
a large brass door.  
Though this was an unfamiliar  
base of operations, Kirae had a  
feeling she knew where exactly they  
were. And so, without hesitation, she  
pushed the door open to reveal a  
large elevator-like transport.  
"Where does it lead?" Kyren  
asked, breathing heavily.  
"There's only one way to find  
out." Kirae said, smiling to her  
companions.  
"You can't be serious!" Lokette  
groaned, leaning against the wall.  
"Just think, it's not running up,  
or down, a flight of stairs!"  
Kirae kept the smile on her  
face. "Now, who's with me on  
exploring where this thing goes?"  
Once they were all in the lift,  
Kirae hit the only button she  
could find saying, in all capital  
letters:  
DEMON'S HOLD  
"Kirae, we really shouldn't be  
doing this," Kyren said cautiously  
as the lift began to drop down at  
an agonizing pace.  
Finally, the elevator came  
to a halt, and the trio looked to one  
another.  
"Well, we're here." Kyren  
said, and Kirae couldn't blame him  
for whispering. The doors hissed  
open, leading to a corridor, then,  
another metal door.  
Anything could lay beyond that door,  
and the group tried to speculate the  
most likely contents of the room  
beyond its barring door, but, only one  
thing came to mind.  
Each member of the trio looked  
first to the door, then to each other as  
first Kirae, then Lokette, and  
finally, Kyren, stepped from the  
elevator. Its doors closed,  
telling them they had no sure way  
back. Finally, the three said,  
in unison, "Kalias."  
The door screeched open on  
hinges that had most likely not been  
waxed in years, and a dark mass  
seeped out into the dimly lit  
corridor.  
"Who are you, that speaks my name,  
intruders? State your names, and  
your business with myself."  
The mass shown a dark purple  
before Kirae as it floated closer  
to her, and she gulped. Dark  
pupils that she guessed were the  
Demon's eyes stared at her with,  
recognition? No, she'd never  
seen the Demon before, had she? No!  
That couldn't be possible! But, the  
Demon seemed to know her already.  
"I do know you, girl, you're the  
child of the prophecies, are you not?"  
the Demon hissed, and Kirae  
gasped. "You wield the sword  
passed down by the Angel, Kir  
Drate." This was more a statement  
than a question. Finally, almost like she was  
being controlled by something, or someone,  
Kirae nodded her head.  
The Demon nodded in return,  
and chuckled, a deep rumble in a  
disembodied throat.  
"Well, girl, if you've  
come to slay me, a Demon of  
immense power, I'm only giving  
you one shot."  
The Demon floated before her,  
a grotesque grin on its face.  
Kirae unsheathed Lance, and looked  
at the Demon.  
"You were the cause for my brother's  
death." she said.  
"But, can you be certain, child,"  
"Don't," she interrupted,  
"Call me that!"  
The two stood, the Demon  
doing its best to do so, both facing  
off against one another.  
"Be careful, Kirae. You are  
facing a Demon, not just a mere  
mortal like someone in Kir  
Drate."  
Kirae shrugged the remark away  
whilst still facing the Demon, Lance  
in one hand, glowing faintly.  
"I am on your side,  
mistress, my power is yours."  
The Demon only laughed, and  
Kirae left it to assumptions that  
the Demon could hear Lance too.  
"Well then, Minor Demon,  
bring it on!"  
Kirae felt her arm arc over  
her head, and the flash of light that  
ensued was blinding to her eyes.  
And she struck, with all her  
might.


	27. The Perfect Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here's the battle you've been waiting for!

Reina sat up, looking around  
the dark room. The fortress rocked,  
and shuddered beneath her as she took a  
deep breath, and stood.  
What was going on? What had  
happened to her?  
Reina took a few tentative  
steps on her wobbly legs, and  
soon reached the door. Opening it  
she peered out and into the emptiness of the  
hall beyond.  
Again, the fortress shook, and again  
she wondered what had happened to her.  
Finally, Reina stepped out into the  
hall, and started down the corridor,  
closing the door behind her.  
Bishop Elizabetth stepped  
off of the Tailwing, her expression  
bemused.  
She had been doing some research  
on a tablet given to her by Kyren  
himself, but something had caught her  
attention. The skies had grown  
dark, and it seemed as if the Earth  
itself was shifting, trembling.  
"Kyren, come in," she called  
through her communicator, looking up  
through the branches of the trees high  
above her. She could hardly see through  
the canopy, so she stepped further  
away from the ship, moving out into the  
field beyond. The sky was covered  
with thick dark clouds, gray  
puffs of pure malevolence.  
On her communicator all she  
received was static, and she grumbled  
in frustration.  
"Kyren, are you there?"  
More static, but a faint  
response.  
"And," the voice was saying. "You  
at?"  
"Sir, will you please repeat  
that, I have terrible reception out here?"  
"Bishop," Kyren said, his  
voice coming through more clearly. "It's  
not your reception. It's mine.  
We're," another thick burst of  
static, "EARTH itself. Kirae's,"  
then it cut out completely.  
I'm going in, Bishop immediately  
decided. She had to protect her  
leader, no matter the cause. And  
seeing the grave expression on  
Kirae's face before the trio had  
departed told her that this was formidable  
territory.  
"Kyren," she called over  
her communicator just as drips of  
water began to fall to the ground.  
"If you can hear me, send me the  
exact coordinates in the base  
as to where you are. I will be coming in  
momentarily."  
Static, then a replay that  
shocked her. In the background,  
it sounded as if something was sparking,  
and someone was groaning in pain. "No!  
Bishop, entering this base is  
suicide! I fear I've nearly  
gotten Kirae killed! Report  
back to base! Assure everyone  
it's all right!" Then came the  
shocking part. "Tell them, we're  
fighting the Demon himself."  
Then it cut out once more, and  
despite her attempts, they were  
in vain, for Kyren could not be reached  
anymore.  
Kirae had taken the bait,  
and struck at Kalias, but something  
blocked her blade entirely,  
sending a wave of pain through her.  
Her skin seemed to crackle for a  
moment, as if she'd been touched  
by a flame. Kirae could not quite  
tell what exactly the phenomenon  
was, but it was definitely not good.  
"Kyren," she groaned.  
"Take, Lokette and get, out  
of here!"  
Kalias laughed at her.  
"Saving your friends? How selfless  
of you, Child of the Elements!"  
"No," Kirae gasped as  
she stumbled back, another wave  
of pain bursting through her. "I'm  
proving to you, I can defeat you,  
on my own."  
Again, the Demon laughed, the  
shadow of his form soon morphing into a  
physical body. In one hand,  
he held a long sword, its  
blade curled at the end.  
"Because I'm nice to new play  
things, I'll let you have the first  
strike. But, don't expect me  
to go easy on you!" he smirked  
as Kirae lunged, Lance sparking as  
their weapons met.  
CLANG!  
Kirae pulled back, and  
struck again, then again, and again. Each  
blow she dealt out was ferocious, and  
ruthless.  
"Kirae!"  
"Go!" she cried, swinging Lance  
again. "Just, go!" Another swing,  
and another sharp clang as Kalias  
easily blocked the blow again.  
Finally, the two backed away  
from each other, Kirae panting.  
"Tired, girl?" the Demon  
mocked, sneering at her.  
"I'm only as tired as you  
are." And indeed, despite the  
natural body function that happened  
whenever she ran for too long, or  
fought too much, Kirae stood  
strong on her feet, with the sword  
still in her hand. "And, I will take  
you down!" she lunged forward,  
her sword rising to meet where the  
Demon's throat was.  
Remember, Kyren had told  
her once before. There are Demons  
out there, and they do not fight like  
humans. That's why the Elementals  
were created, because the Demon Queen,  
and the Angel needed pawns to fight  
their war. And I must apologize,  
but I see you as the same. You have  
an Elemental Matrix within you.  
Kirae felt a flame deep  
within her, sparking to life. She  
felt much stronger than before. And her  
next swing had the Demon staggering.  
"What?" he asked, staring at  
her.  
"You didn't see me coming?"  
she taunted, Lance held aloft.  
The sword seemed to glow with a new  
light, this one orange, the common  
color of the Fire Element.  
You have an Elemental Matrix  
within you, and I believe in you, Kyren  
had said.  
Thank you, Kirae thought as she  
began to assault the Demon with  
quick slashes, much faster, and much more  
fierce than the ones she would have  
used before this new energy had come  
to her. And it seemed her attacks  
were growing too fast for the Demon  
to follow.  
And finally, one slash sent his  
body crumbling into dust.  
"Kirae?" Kyren called.  
"We may have a problem, a big  
one."  
"Me killing the Demon we're  
after isn't a problem, is it?"  
Kyren shook his head, and  
beckoned her to come to a metal  
box which had opened, and was blinking  
rapidly, a red light blaring throughout  
the room.  
"Oh,"  
Kirae stepped over to it just as  
flames began to consume the room  
entirely.  
"The Demon is out of his  
hold!" Zoin cried, noticing a  
blinking red light on his  
communicator. "But, why is he  
out?"  
He examined the red light  
thoroughly just as a door burst  
open behind him, and Reina, he could  
tell by her panting, came running  
through, and toward him.  
"This is bad!"  
"You know, I didn't notice!"  
he remarked, starting for the lift that  
led to the Demon's Hold. He  
opened the door, and stepped into the  
lift. And before he could press the  
button to take him down Reina  
was beside him, and the doors were already  
closing.  
Far beneath them, the room was being  
torn apart by some unknown force. It  
was the perfect prison, only without  
its prisoner.  
"Kirae, grab onto my  
hand!" Kyren called as the roar  
of the flames that had engulfed the  
room came from everywhere. "I think  
I may have a plan!"  
"Well, can you explain it  
quickly? I don't think I can  
hold on much longer to this!" Kirae  
sheathed Lance, and took Kyren's  
hand, holding tightly onto it.  
"Lokette, take Kirae's  
hand." he ordered, beginning to press  
buttons on his communicator.  
"We've got company!"  
"What is going on down here?"  
came a shouting voice, then there was a  
cough.  
"I'll take care of th,"  
"No, Lokette!" Kirae  
admonished as the girl began  
to let go of Kirae's hand. She  
drew her staffs, and prepared  
to attack.  
"Lokette, if you aren't here,  
then it won't work! You'll die!"  
Kyren said, glaring at her through the  
smoke-filled room.  
"Then you'll just have to leave me  
behind, because I swore to protect  
you two!"  
A girl came rushing through the  
smoke her swords drawn, and  
she struck at both ends of  
Lokette's raised staffs.  
It was Reina.  
She struck, and struck again,  
fighting Lokette fiercely as  
the fire took over the room,  
sucking the air from it, and breaking it.  
Kirae could tell the room was  
breaking just by looking at the walls.  
Cracks began to form on it, and beyond  
those cracks was pure darkness.  
"Ready now! Grab on,  
Lokette!"  
"No!"  
"Lokette!" Kirae cried  
as Kyren's fingers closed about hers,  
and he took a deep breath. His  
finger laid down onto a button,  
and everything went dark.  
The last Kirae heard of  
anything, the fire, the wind, the  
fighting, her own screaming was one  
small voice. And it spoke in  
Kyren's voice saying, "We'll  
be back. We'll be stronger, and we  
will be back. And next time, we'll  
win. For the sake of the Angel, I  
promise to you, we will win, if it's  
the last thing we do. Come, Kirae,  
we must train."


	28. Ten Years Passing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heroes always have the compassionate side they don't show around people. But, Kirae's an exception to one of those. Here's how she truly feels.

Reina sat up, looking around  
the dark room. The fortress rocked,  
and shuddered beneath her as she took a  
deep breath, and stood.  
What was going on? What had  
happened to her?  
Reina took a few tentative  
steps on her wobbly legs, and  
soon reached the door. Opening it  
she peered out and into the emptiness of the  
hall beyond.  
Again, the fortress shook, and again  
she wondered what had happened to her.  
Finally, Reina stepped out into the  
hall, and started down the corridor,  
closing the door behind her.  
Bishop Elizabetth stepped  
off of the Tailwing, her expression  
bemused.  
She had been doing some research  
on a tablet given to her by Kyren  
himself, but something had caught her  
attention. The skies had grown  
dark, and it seemed as if the Earth  
itself was shifting, trembling.  
"Kyren, come in," she called  
through her communicator, looking up  
through the branches of the trees high  
above her. She could hardly see through  
the canopy, so she stepped further  
away from the ship, moving out into the  
field beyond. The sky was covered  
with thick dark clouds, gray  
puffs of pure malevolence.  
On her communicator all she  
received was static, and she grumbled  
in frustration.  
"Kyren, are you there?"  
More static, but a faint  
response.  
"And," the voice was saying. "You  
at?"  
"Sir, will you please repeat  
that, I have terrible reception out here?"  
"Bishop," Kyren said, his  
voice coming through more clearly. "It's  
not your reception. It's mine.  
We're," another thick burst of  
static, "EARTH itself. Kirae's,"  
then it cut out completely.  
I'm going in, Bishop immediately  
decided. She had to protect her  
leader, no matter the cause. And  
seeing the grave expression on  
Kirae's face before the trio had  
departed told her that this was formidable  
territory.  
"Kyren," she called over  
her communicator just as drips of  
water began to fall to the ground.  
"If you can hear me, send me the  
exact coordinates in the base  
as to where you are. I will be coming in  
momentarily."  
Static, then a replay that  
shocked her. In the background,  
it sounded as if something was sparking,  
and someone was groaning in pain. "No!  
Bishop, entering this base is  
suicide! I fear I've nearly  
gotten Kirae killed! Report  
back to base! Assure everyone  
it's all right!" Then came the  
shocking part. "Tell them, we're  
fighting the Demon himself."  
Then it cut out once more, and  
despite her attempts, they were  
in vain, for Kyren could not be reached  
anymore.  
Kirae had taken the bait,  
and struck at Kalias, but something  
blocked her blade entirely,  
sending a wave of pain through her.  
Her skin seemed to crackle for a  
moment, as if she'd been touched  
by a flame. Kirae could not quite  
tell what exactly the phenomenon  
was, but it was definitely not good.  
"Kyren," she groaned.  
"Take, Lokette and get, out  
of here!"  
Kalias laughed at her.  
"Saving your friends? How selfless  
of you, Child of the Elements!"  
"No," Kirae gasped as  
she stumbled back, another wave  
of pain bursting through her. "I'm  
proving to you, I can defeat you,  
on my own."  
Again, the Demon laughed, the  
shadow of his form soon morphing into a  
physical body. In one hand,  
he held a long sword, its  
blade curled at the end.  
"Because I'm nice to new play  
things, I'll let you have the first  
strike. But, don't expect me  
to go easy on you!" he smirked  
as Kirae lunged, Lance sparking as  
their weapons met.  
CLANG!  
Kirae pulled back, and  
struck again, then again, and again. Each  
blow she dealt out was ferocious, and  
ruthless.  
"Kirae!"  
"Go!" she cried, swinging Lance  
again. "Just, go!" Another swing,  
and another sharp clang as Kalias  
easily blocked the blow again.  
Finally, the two backed away  
from each other, Kirae panting.  
"Tired, girl?" the Demon  
mocked, sneering at her.  
"I'm only as tired as you  
are." And indeed, despite the  
natural body function that happened  
whenever she ran for too long, or  
fought too much, Kirae stood  
strong on her feet, with the sword  
still in her hand. "And, I will take  
you down!" she lunged forward,  
her sword rising to meet where the  
Demon's throat was.  
Remember, Kyren had told  
her once before. There are Demons  
out there, and they do not fight like  
humans. That's why the Elementals  
were created, because the Demon Queen,  
and the Angel needed pawns to fight  
their war. And I must apologize,  
but I see you as the same. You have  
an Elemental Matrix within you.  
Kirae felt a flame deep  
within her, sparking to life. She  
felt much stronger than before. And her  
next swing had the Demon staggering.  
"What?" he asked, staring at  
her.  
"You didn't see me coming?"  
she taunted, Lance held aloft.  
The sword seemed to glow with a new  
light, this one orange, the common  
color of the Fire Element.  
You have an Elemental Matrix  
within you, and I believe in you, Kyren  
had said.  
Thank you, Kirae thought as she  
began to assault the Demon with  
quick slashes, much faster, and much more  
fierce than the ones she would have  
used before this new energy had come  
to her. And it seemed her attacks  
were growing too fast for the Demon  
to follow.  
And finally, one slash sent his  
body crumbling into dust.  
"Kirae?" Kyren called.  
"We may have a problem, a big  
one."  
"Me killing the Demon we're  
after isn't a problem, is it?"  
Kyren shook his head, and  
beckoned her to come to a metal  
box which had opened, and was blinking  
rapidly, a red light blaring throughout  
the room.  
"Oh,"  
Kirae stepped over to it just as  
flames began to consume the room  
entirely.  
"The Demon is out of his  
hold!" Zoin cried, noticing a  
blinking red light on his  
communicator. "But, why is he  
out?"  
He examined the red light  
thoroughly just as a door burst  
open behind him, and Reina, he could  
tell by her panting, came running  
through, and toward him.  
"This is bad!"  
"You know, I didn't notice!"  
he remarked, starting for the lift that  
led to the Demon's Hold. He  
opened the door, and stepped into the  
lift. And before he could press the  
button to take him down Reina  
was beside him, and the doors were already  
closing.  
Far beneath them, the room was being  
torn apart by some unknown force. It  
was the perfect prison, only without  
its prisoner.  
"Kirae, grab onto my  
hand!" Kyren called as the roar  
of the flames that had engulfed the  
room came from everywhere. "I think  
I may have a plan!"  
"Well, can you explain it  
quickly? I don't think I can  
hold on much longer to this!" Kirae  
sheathed Lance, and took Kyren's  
hand, holding tightly onto it.  
"Lokette, take Kirae's  
hand." he ordered, beginning to press  
buttons on his communicator.  
"We've got company!"  
"What is going on down here?"  
came a shouting voice, then there was a  
cough.  
"I'll take care of th,"  
"No, Lokette!" Kirae  
admonished as the girl began  
to let go of Kirae's hand. She  
drew her staffs, and prepared  
to attack.  
"Lokette, if you aren't here,  
then it won't work! You'll die!"  
Kyren said, glaring at her through the  
smoke-filled room.  
"Then you'll just have to leave me  
behind, because I swore to protect  
you two!"  
A girl came rushing through the  
smoke her swords drawn, and  
she struck at both ends of  
Lokette's raised staffs.  
It was Reina.  
She struck, and struck again,  
fighting Lokette fiercely as  
the fire took over the room,  
sucking the air from it, and breaking it.  
Kirae could tell the room was  
breaking just by looking at the walls.  
Cracks began to form on it, and beyond  
those cracks was pure darkness.  
"Ready now! Grab on,  
Lokette!"  
"No!"  
"Lokette!" Kirae cried  
as Kyren's fingers closed about hers,  
and he took a deep breath. His  
finger laid down onto a button,  
and everything went dark.  
The last Kirae heard of  
anything, the fire, the wind, the  
fighting, her own screaming was one  
small voice. And it spoke in  
Kyren's voice saying, "We'll  
be back. We'll be stronger, and we  
will be back. And next time, we'll  
win. For the sake of the Angel, I  
promise to you, we will win, if it's  
the last thing we do. Come, Kirae,  
we must train."


	29. The Enigmatic Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time continues to pass, and everyone's training their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls out. But, what about their enemy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We begin today a little, different. Hope you enjoy the small "change!"

Excerpt:  
"It was made by the Druids,  
the Cometline, as our final line  
of defense against anyone. But, in  
the crafting of this eternal weapon  
of death, Jinna thought we must  
mass-produce this weapon, and  
send it out to the humans, smaller,  
less catastrophic versions of  
it."   
Journal Entry: 51990  
By Tial  
The Last Druid Order  
Year: 2360  
Kirae studied the inscription  
she'd found hours before while reading.  
She had closed the book, keeping  
a marker on that page so she could  
study it after she had trained. As  
well, she told Kyren of this  
discovery, and wondered what his thoughts  
were. However, he didn't say  
much.  
During one of her training  
exercises, Kyren stopped for a  
moment, recalling her back to the  
room. Kirae peered at him  
curiously as he pressed a  
button on his communicator.  
"You may speak." he simply  
remarked.  
Kirae watched the communicator  
as time passed in agonizing slowness,  
static coming over the speakers, then  
a very familiar voice. A voice  
Kirae had not heard in over  
ten years.  
"Kyren, my search for the  
Cometline's remaining pieces has  
fallen through. The pieces that have  
been discovered, wherever they are,  
are all gone. It's like, someone's  
taking them to toy with us." said the  
voice. "I am coming back to base  
in a few moments."  
The voice, to Kirae's  
disappointment, was not that of Lokette  
Cooper, but of Bishop  
Elizabetth, whom she didn't  
see enter the fortress those ten  
long years ago.  
But, the question was: What was  
Bishop doing?  
"We will greet you when you arrive,  
thank you for your report, Bishop."  
Kyren said, and the transmission between  
the two went dead.  
Kirae looked at Kyren  
for a moment, and he stared silently  
back, a smile faintly tugging  
at the corners of his lips.  
"Well, what do you think?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Our goal," Kyren said,  
leaning against the Virtual Reality  
chamber's console, "Is to make  
the Cometline Cannon, in its  
less destructive state,  
to maybe destroy their base."  
"But, now that we know where they  
are, won't they move?" Kirae  
asked, expecting this to be the case.  
"That is a possibility. Our  
rival may choose to go into hiding,  
somewhere secluded, and hard for even  
them to find, but eventually, we will  
find them."  
Kirae shrugged, also leaning against  
the console of the machine. That was when  
she realized she was still hooked to it.  
Kirae blinked as a red dot  
appeared on her screen, and on  
Kyren's, the same small, blinking  
red dot appearing on the screens  
of their communicator.  
Then, a picture came into view  
on the small screen. It was of a  
figure, their back turned to them,  
standing before a large machine.  
The machine stood many feet  
taller than the figure, and it had  
a strange nozzle carved out of  
something dark, something that gave Kirae  
the shivers.  
The figure however, looked to be  
a girl of about the same age as  
Kirae, her hair covered by a  
large hood.  
After the picture faded  
into darkness, a message took its  
place:  
ATTENTION!  
The Cometline is active, and  
ready for use.  
I have scoured the world in what can  
only be described as its  
entirety, searching for the remaining  
pieces, and now, I have found them.  
Before me stands the ultimate  
weapon, before me stands the demise  
of the universe itself.  
And before me, stands your end.  
Then the screen went blank.  
"Who," Kirae tried,  
looking to her strapped wrists.  
She couldn't quite speak, not entirely,  
"Who?"  
"I don't know." Kyren  
responded, shifting to help her  
with her straps.  
Bishop watched as the message  
appeared, then just as suddenly, winked  
out, and into darkness.  
She was sitting aboard her  
airship, which she hadn't quite given a  
name yet. She was flying solo,  
flying through the skies over everything  
she could find, hoping to find something  
strange, or out of place.  
It had been three days since  
she left the Kir Drate  
Academy again, and in those three  
days, there had been nothing.  
But, Bishop Elizabetth was  
not ready to give up.  
Ten years ago she had abandoned  
her leader, and his group, just to hide  
from massive destruction, and that was not  
enough for her. That was bad, despite the  
reassurances of Kyren, and Kirae  
both.  
But, her commitment would be true.  
She would return, and report what  
she had found.  
Moments later, her ship docked  
on one of the many high ramparts of the  
Academy.  
The Academy stood in the  
shroud of the dusk sun, its walls  
glowing a faint orange.  
Bishop stepped off of the airship,  
and toward a concealed alcove,  
moving into the staircase beyond.  
As she moved the maze of  
corridors, winding her way through the  
large academy, her thoughts trailed  
back to the message on her  
communicator, which had just appeared after  
she spoke to Kyren. The question that  
nagged at her thoughts the most was:  
Who was it that sent that? Who had  
created the Cometline not in its small  
form, but in the full form, the cannon  
that had destroyed the universe,  
unraveled it entirely? Who would  
want such destruction to befall this land  
once again?  
Her first thought, before the second  
and third questions arose in her thoughts,  
was that Lokette, Kirae's new  
friend had been the one. But, that was also  
quenched when she remembered what  
had happened ten years ago.  
Kyren had told her, briefly,  
before she went out and searched, again, and  
again, that Lokette died trying  
to save himself and Kirae. And this  
whole incident had devastated  
Kirae when she had awoken.  
So, the question rose once more,  
who had made the Cometline  
Cannon?  
There was really, only one way  
to find out.  
Bishop ascended a staircase,  
starting down a long hall, treading  
carefully as she approached a  
door.  
Upon the handle of the door, a  
symbol was shown, an angelic  
symbol, and beneath the door, emanating  
through a crack, was a golden green  
light.  
Bishop Elizabetth put her  
hand to the door just as a voice, a  
soft, melodious tone, sounded through  
her mind, saying one word, and one word  
alone.  
"Enter."  
And cautiously, she did.  
Kyren pulled up the image  
once more, then the message,  
scanning each curiously, moving  
back and forth between the two.  
He and Kirae had returned  
to his office after finishing a short  
training run, and the two were determined  
to identify who this person was.  
Both were sitting before small  
devices that had once been  
popular, many centuries ago.  
They had been called computers then,  
but Kyren lost track of how many  
times the name had changed.  
There were many models, different  
types of computers with different  
aspects, different purposes.  
But, these computers had been laden  
with databases of everyone who lived,  
and who had died since the dawn of their  
era. And to this day, they were still being  
updated, upgraded to know more, and more  
people.  
That's why Kyren had appointed  
the title as Profilers.  
Her pressed key after key,  
working diligently to find the perfect  
match to whom ever this mysterious  
figure was.  
If she was not a member of  
Kir Drate, which Kyren  
suspected she wasn't, then that  
would bring to mind, like it already had,  
the question of how this person had gotten  
into the secluded frequency of all  
of the Kir Drate communicators.  
Unless, she was a mole.  
Kyren shook this thought off as he  
scrolled through pictures of people,  
men, women, children, corpses,  
millions upon millions of people,  
all logged into this massive  
database.  
The work was tedious, and Kyren  
kept looking back at his  
communicator to examine the figure,  
again, and again, as the time passed.  
And all the while, neither he, nor  
Kirae spoke.  
Finally, he sat back, and  
rubbed his aching neck, looking over  
to where Kirae worked, clicking  
furiously at the keys of her own  
Profiler. Her fingers were a blur,  
hinting at her adept use of the  
computer in general.  
"Anything?" he asked aloud,  
his voice sounding groggy.  
"Not quite." Kirae said, her  
muscles tense as she continued,  
typing faster than Kyren could watch.  
"But, I am doing," she paused,  
and Kyren got the feeling she was  
biting her tongue in concentration.  
"My best."  
"Your assistance is much  
appreciated, Kirae," he said,  
sighing. But, the girl did not  
respond.  
A knock sounded at the door,  
startling both of them. Kyren looked  
to the door, then the closed window in  
its center.  
Who could be up, besides the two of  
them, at this late an hour?  
He looked to the midnight sky  
outside of the ancient Academy  
and wondered, not for the first time, how long  
they had been working at this.  
The knock came again, a series  
of taps that Kyren recognized  
very well.  
"Come in, Bishop," he  
called, standing to greet her.  
When Bishop entered, Kirae  
looked up, her fingers slowing, and  
eventually stopping their furious  
tapping.  
The room fell silent as  
Bishop looked gravely at them.  
"I think I have found the answer  
that everyone here is looking for. I  
think I know who sent us that  
message."  
Kirae looked at her  
Profiler screen, then closed it,  
and looked up.  
"Who is it?"  
"I think you encountered her her  
once already, Kirae," Bishop  
started, coming to sit in the last of the  
three chairs in the room. "Her  
name is: Reina Calligien.  
Daughter of the leader, of Kalias."  
Kirae gulped, her hand hand  
instinctively went to the sheath at her  
side, where Lance was held.  
"Reina?" she asked, sounding  
predatory.  
"That is correct. And I was  
told by our ancient mystic, Kir  
Drate herself."  
Kirae blinked in confusion just as  
an alarm bell rang not only in her  
head, but in the entirety of the Kir  
Drate Academy.  
"And she also told me, they've  
prepared an assault, which is  
happening now."  
Deep within the mountain that Kir  
Drate, the Angel, had made her  
academy, and chapel so to speak, a  
man stood in a workshop, his hands  
covered in grease.  
He rubbed his fingers together, sighing  
as his gaze strayed to a large  
piece of metal lying on a work  
bench.  
A door banged open, and the  
sound of footsteps came to his  
ears, their owner descending the long  
staircase that led to his workshop.  
"Jack, are you down here?"  
came a female's voice. He was  
not sure which of the members of the group  
it was, but the man, Jack,  
deduced he had a mere one  
minute before the person made it down  
the long flight of stairs, and  
into his workshop. So, he could  
answer, or he could remain  
silent. Confused with the latter thought,  
Jack chose the former.  
"Yes," he started, walking  
toward the door. "I am here."  
When he peered outside, and into the  
stairwell that led to his work shop,  
he saw the elegant figure of  
Bishop Elizabetth descending  
toward him.  
"What do I owe the pleasure  
of this visit to?" he asked, a  
smile creasing his face. He  
rubbed at his pants, trying to get  
the grease stains from them as she  
came down to his level.  
"I have a favour to ask of you."  
she said, a smile of her own forming.  
"A favour?" Jack asked.  
Bishop nodded, stepping into his  
work shop, looking around as she took  
a seat before a large work table.  
"I heard about that business with that  
strange message,"  
"Did you get too?" Bishop  
asked, interrupting him.  
"Yes,"  
"Then you know we're in grave  
danger."  
Jack nodded silently.  
"We're losing the assault they  
have mounted on our base itself. Can you  
craft, quickly, a weapon to help  
turn the tides?"  
Jack took a long moment  
to think this over. Could he really  
make a weapon as strong as the  
Cometline? Was it even possible  
to match the scale of destruction that  
cannon had on the world?  
Before he could intelligently  
answer, a crackle of static  
caught both his and Bishop's  
attention, drawing their gaze to her  
wrist communicator.  
"Bishop, where are you?"  
It was Kyren calling her, Jack  
knew that much.  
"I'm trying to help us, what's  
up, Kyren?" Bishop answered.  
"We have complete chaos up here.  
We need your help!"  
Bishop stood, looking to Jack.  
After confirming she would be up within the  
minute, she spoke to Jack once  
more, "So, can you?"  
"I can try."  
She nodded, and started for the door,  
and the staircase beyond. "Please do.  
It sounds like we're going to need a  
lot of help if we're going to win  
anything, if not just a simple  
battle."  
"Understood. Good luck, miss  
Elizabetth."  
That was one of Jack's quirks,  
Bishop noted as she quickly  
ascended the staircase once more.  
She sprinted, taking the steps two  
at a time as she thought. Jack never  
called anyone by their first name,  
wishing to remain formal with everyone in the  
group.  
It didn't take half the time  
it took to descend, before Bishop  
saw why Kyren had called.  
She looked upon the scene of  
chaos, duels in the halls,  
blades flashing everywhere. But, three  
figures alone caught her  
attention.  
They fought in perfect formation,  
fending off first one, then two, and  
soon several of the Kalias  
warriors that threatened them.  
Kirae stood, Lance in one hand,  
her lust to win a battle  
invigorated by only one thing.  
During the start of the assault,  
a warship had come flying over the  
base, raking some of the warriors with  
gunfire. At the helm of the ship  
was none other than the one she had  
thought she'd lost.  
Lokette Cooper was alive,  
and she had come to their aid!


	30. The Truth Of Her Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, what really happened back then? And what is going on in the present?

Lokette fumbled around in the  
blackness, feeling her way around  
the endless nothingness.  
Where was she? What was she doing  
here?  
She felt along her arms, and  
found ropes, and needles. She  
felt something strange, something bright,  
yet colorless, entering her body.  
The needles shown a faint golden  
color as they drained whatever their  
contents were into her body.  
But, what was in these unknown  
needles? What were they there for? And  
why was she there?  
That was all she could remember after  
the room had exploded. That was what  
she remembered from those ten years  
gone by.  
Kirae still wondered how  
Lokette had survived that one day  
ten years ago, that day in the lower  
parts of Kalias's past fortress.  
But, she supposed the answer could  
wait, at least for now.  
The first words out of the girl's mouth  
were, "This isn't much of a  
greeting," when neither she, nor  
Kyren, answered, she continued,  
"Quit gaping, you've got a  
battle to win!"  
"But, we can't win,"  
"No complaining," Lokette said,  
a grin on her face. "We're  
winning this, no matter what that  
message said. Because, that message  
is now, false!"  
And with that, Lokette leaped  
forward, her staffs in one hand. With the  
flick of a finger, the blades  
swung open with a small click, and the  
sound of an unsheathing sword.  
Kirae had a feeling that this  
newly restored Lokette was  
here to help turn the tides.  
Lokette wielded her duel  
weapon with ease, sliding between  
combatants, saving those of Kir  
Drate, and knocking out those from  
Kalias.  
"You see," she started to Kirae,  
who caught up to her. "My absence  
was not because I was dead, or missing."  
she slashed at a combatant, slicing  
the man's arm off of his body.  
"What do you mean?" Kirae  
asked, her own blade flashing through  
the air.  
"I mean, I'm alive."  
"That's evident, but you're,  
different." Kirae offered,  
examining her friend. Her features  
seemed just the slightest bit brighter  
than they had been before.  
"Yes." Lokette agreed,  
ducking beneath a swiping blade,  
then countering with such force that her foe was  
knocked to the ground. "But, I will  
have to explain the details later."  
Somewhere ahead of them, near the  
exit of the building a cracking,  
crashing sound came to their ears.  
"What was that?"  
"We have to go, let's see what  
it was," Kirae pushed passed a  
combatant, and Lokette followed  
immediately.  
"No!" came a cry as  
splinters of what looked like  
white hot wood crumbled, and fell  
to the ground. After several large  
pieces fell, a metallic  
nozzle came crashing, and clanging  
down.  
"What is that thing?"  
"Oh, right! I forgot!"  
Lokette grinned as another  
piece of metal fell to the ground.  
"I had some way of destroying their  
hard work!"  
"What is going on?!" Reina's  
voice met their ears. Then she  
saw Kirae, and Lokette, as  
she rounded the side of the massive  
piece of equipment, evidently  
the large cannon she'd shown them  
before.  
"You!" she cried, leveling a  
sword for Kirae's heart. "You  
will pay for this!" and she charged forward,  
her sword steady. She sliced  
upward, but Kirae was faster.  
Her own blade parried the strike,  
forcing Reina to go defensive.  
They clashed, and held their  
blades together, forcing their sword  
against their foe's, hoping the other would  
give way.  
"I didn't do anything."  
Kirae growled, Lance sparking.  
"You destroyed this magnificent  
toy of mine!" and Reina broke  
away, slicing sideways, aiming  
for Kirae's sword arm.  
"If you want the true  
culprit, you whiny brat, then  
you're looking at the wrong person,"  
Lokette said, clanging her  
duel staffs together.  
Kyren watched as the two girls  
fought side by side against Reina,  
who put up a chaotic fight.  
Her sword danced this way, then  
that, flashing between opponents faster  
than he could watch. One moment  
he thought one of the girls had  
Reina trapped, the next, both  
strikes were blocked, stopped in  
their tracks.  
She was good, that was for sure. But,  
he had faith in his student, and her  
friend.  
Meanwhile, behind him, others fought  
their hearts out, fighting for their base.  
They did not know that their biggest  
threat had dissolved.  
"I must rejoin my friends," he  
mumbled, stepping back into the fray,  
his sword drawn.  
People ran to meet him, their own  
weapons at the ready, slashing,  
and slicing, hacking at the invisible  
plate of armor that Kyren wore.  
His armor was his skill.  
"Bishop!" he called as a  
girl came running through the fighters.  
"Bishop, wait!"  
He saw, in her hands, a  
great sword, its metal gleaming from  
the forges deep beneath their base.  
Bishop slashed at a few of the  
fighters as she passed them, bringing  
them down in one blow. She had to find  
Kirae, and inform her what was going  
on. She had to, now.  
But, in the middle of all this  
fighting, where Bishop expected the  
brash student to be, she was nowhere  
to be seen.  
Then, a crackle of Lightning  
sounded, and that was her cue.  
It was a mere hunch, but Bishop  
guessed Kirae was its source.  
Out an exit she ran, along  
a battlement, and down to the ground  
where she saw Kirae lying on the  
ground, her hair smoldering,  
Lokette slumped against a wall,  
and the ruins of something great, something that  
Bishop could no longer recognize.  
"Kirae?" she called, rushing  
over to the girl.  
A quick check revealed Kirae  
to be just fine, her heart racing a little  
faster than normal, but she was  
breathing.  
What had she just done?  
"Bishop?" Kirae asked,  
grasping her hand.  
"Kirae, you're just fine." she  
immediately reassured the girl as  
Lokette's eyes fluttered open,  
and she gasped.  
"What happened?" Kirae  
asked.  
"I'm not quite sure, I just heard  
lightning. Next thing you know, I  
find you two alone out here."  
Bishop picked up a metallic  
thing at her feet. It was a straight  
tube, running for four feet.  
"It seems we have regained  
possession of the Cometline  
Cannon's main source of fire."  
she said, smiling at the two.  
Bishop helped Kirae to her  
feet, and supported the two while  
they made their way into the base  
once more. They had to find Kyren  
so they would know what was going on  
next.  
In the base, it was absolutely  
silent.  
Later that day, as they finished  
fixing what they could, Kirae and  
Lokette sat in a Virtual  
Reality Chamber, Lokette  
explaining to Kirae what had  
happened.  
"You can't tell anyone about this,  
Kirae, please. If anyone  
were to find out, I'd be considered a  
freak."  
Kirae nodded.  
"I mean it, please,"  
Lokette begged.  
"I get it, don't tell  
anyone that you were inside the Rift,  
connected to something that gave you life.  
Now, how does a training match  
sound to you?"  
Lokette grinned. "Are you  
ready to be taken down?" she asked,  
nudging Kirae's shoulder.  
The two got hooked to the machine,  
and prepared for the best training match  
they had both come across in their entire  
lives.  
Deep beneath the base, Jack  
worked at a forge, hammering pieces  
of metal together, hoping what he was  
doing was correct. Bishop had  
come down to scrutinize his work, and  
after the third time that day, he told  
her to just stay so she wouldn't have  
to worry about the stairs.  
"Plus," he had reasoned,  
"I will need someone to keep an  
eye on me, to make sure I'm  
doing exactly what I need to be."  
"You're a master craftsman,  
you think you'd make a mistake?"  
Bishop laughed at this.  
"There's always margin for error,  
Bishop Elizabetth. And for me,  
that would make me look bad.  
As well, this is a project that  
I've never done, nor even seen  
before."  
"Well then," Bishop stood  
from the work bench she had decided  
to occupy. "Let me see how you  
work your magic."  
The two turned to the largest of the  
furnaces, a hammer at its  
side as Jack said, "Your wish,  
madam, is my command."  
Earlier that day Bishop had given  
their master craftsman the piece  
of metal recovered from the  
battlegrounds of that day. And now,  
it was time to create the ultimate  
weapon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if my creativity's not doing as well as usual...


	31. The Creation Of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the long wait for the next chapter to this story. After National Novel Writing Month I was set upon by a vicious hold of writer's block, and progress was slow. But, just because National Novel Writing Month of November 2015 is over, does not mean I'm going to leave a story unfinished.  
> I hope you like the next chapter!

Hours were spent down in the work  
shop. Bishop and Jack stood  
side by side, working on a large  
amount of metal pieces, forging  
them into perfect shape.  
Jack had not asked Bishop what  
they were making, and she had not told  
him.  
As was his custom, Jack did  
not know what time it was, having no  
source of light other than those that  
Kyren had graciously set up in  
his shop, stating, "You know, it's not  
safe to work in the dark. You could  
cut your fingers off."  
"Yes sir," Jack had  
replied, looking up at the dim  
lights, casting their glow about the  
room.  
Back in the present, he  
hammered a piece of metal  
into an elongated shape, then rounded  
out the top.  
Almost as if instinct, Jack  
knew that, as the two worked, it would  
be a long, hard, and tedious job,  
making whatever it was Bishop had  
in mind.  
But, they would get it done, no  
matter what it cost.  
Meanwhile, Kirae, and  
Lokette were still training deep into the  
night, testing each others' limits  
in strength, dexterity, and other  
skills.  
"Ha!" Lokette said after a  
particularly rough training run, which  
Kirae awoke from with a headache.  
"It looks like you're losing your  
cool, Kirae."  
"Got a little distracted, that's  
all."  
"Well, how about we test our  
work, in unison?"  
"Wait, you mean like,"  
"Two versus two hundred?  
Yes." Lokette finished, a  
mischievous smile on her face.  
"And we're going to win."  
"But, how?"  
"We will find our perfect formation,  
and win that way."  
It didn't take long before the  
two had what seemed to be the  
perfect strategy.  
Side by side, the two entered  
a large battlefield, their  
weapons drawn, and held aloft.  
Lance glowed with a new Elemental  
Energy, something Kyren had informed  
Kirae of, and she had studied on.  
Now she knew how to use the  
ancient abilities of the Druids  
of old, and the select few people living  
today.  
The two had no doubt in their  
mind, as they advanced on a large  
war party, that they would win this.  
Some of the warriors before them drew  
their weapons, swords of immense  
length, and glory, spears,  
javelins, a couple with weapons that  
looked like boomerangs, or other  
projectiles, and a few even with  
bows, or odd gun-like weapons.  
"Well," Lokette said,  
spreading the blades of her duel  
staffs. "Let's get ready for the  
fight of our lives."  
And thus, it began.  
Kyren sat with his new  
assistant, Kaylin, both studying  
the papers Kyren had found in the  
library. They had been concealed behind  
a large book, which he couldn't quite  
remember the title of, but the fact  
of the matter was, they were of great  
importance.  
"Do they say anything useful?"  
Kaylin asked, just as a knock  
sounded at the door.  
"Come," he called before saying  
to Kaylin, "Not that I've found  
yet."  
Mali, Grai, and Kalvin,  
all of whom had searched the land for the  
former fortress of Kalias, entered  
the room, their expressions grave.  
"What is it?" he asked them.  
Mali spoke first, looking down  
tentatively, then raising her  
eyes to meet his. "We searched  
the coordinates you sent us, but there  
was no trace of a fortress there."  
Mali said solemnly.  
"What do you mean? It has to be  
there." Kyren stood, looking at  
them.  
"We've searched the area, and a  
twenty mile radius around that area,  
but there is no sign of a fortress.  
Nor are there signs of there being  
one in that spot for a long time. Just  
dirt, and grass." Kalvin informed.  
Kyren sighed, sitting once more.  
"Then, what do you propose we  
do?"  
"Launch another search," Grai  
stated simply. "It has to be  
somewhere out there, and I am convinced we  
will find it."  
Kalvin, and Mali nodded,  
looking to Grai.  
"And where would we look?"  
"Where we've not done so. We  
would look anywhere where something can be  
concealed. We will search for anything  
out of place."  
Kirae, and Lokette knocked  
on the closed door then, and Kyren  
bit his lip.  
This was getting a little too  
irritating, too overwhelming.  
Kirae entered, looking around at  
those gathered in the large office.  
"What's going on?" Lokette  
asked the question before Kirae could, and  
several pairs of eyes fixed on  
them.  
"We are discussing our next  
move against Kalias. There must be  
something to do," Mali said, looking  
first to Kalvin, then to Grai.  
"We will have to mount a search party,  
another one, separating many members  
of Kir Drate in search of this  
fortress they conceal themselves within."  
Kyren said.  
"Are we going to be a part of it?"  
Kirae asked.  
"There may only be a few that  
stay behind, and those will be the ones with little  
to no experience with scouting, or  
fighting. You are not included in either  
of those categories, either of you."  
"Then, what's our mission?"  
Kirae asked.  
Then, one final knock came  
at the door, and when Kyren bid  
them enter, Bishop, followed by a  
tall man, entered, two oblong  
objects held in their hands.  
"Bishop, Jack," Kyren  
greeted. "What brings you here?"  
"Well, sir," Jack started,  
lifting the object, which had a faint  
glow about one end. "It's about my  
latest project."  
"All right, what is it?"  
"Miss Elizabetth brought me  
one of the pieces to the Cometline  
Cannon, and we've worked  
diligently, and have completed our  
work. This," he gestured with the  
object, "Is a completed  
miniature version of the Cannon."  
Kyren looked at the it and gasped.  
They had just reproduced the  
Cannon, in a smaller form.  
"How did you," Kyren started, his  
gaze brought to the strange device,  
originally formed many centuries ago.  
"As it turns out, your faith in  
Jack was well-placed."  
"It didn't take much surveying  
of the schematics for me to figure out  
what was needed." Jack chimed in,  
beaming.  
"Very good Jack, very good)"  
Meanwhile, the options were set,  
and Kirae, and Lokette stood  
on a massive battlefield.  
The skies were dark, as if  
expecting the great battle to come.  
The two had spent almost half an  
hour, scouring over the many options that  
the virtual reality chamber's  
database had to offer.  
Finally, they had put together the  
correct scenario, and both had  
entered into the odd slumber that the  
chamber caused when entering its  
computers.  
"Are you ready?" Lokette  
asked, twirling her canes into an  
upright position, the blunt ends  
swaying with the gentle wind.  
"I'm ready." Kirae said,  
a determined smile playing across  
her face. And indeed, she felt  
she could do this.  
As she was playing the last bit  
of advice Kyren had given her,  
Kirae heard the roar of a   
massive army approaching. And  
immediately, she knew that the battle was  
about to begin.  
"Ever we go" Kirae said,  
twitching slightly.  
She pulled Lance from her sheath,  
and went into a tense stance, taking a  
few deep breaths.  
And then, the two hundred  
figures appeared atop a far  
rise, and they came forth like a  
living tidal wave.


	32. Two Versus Two Thousand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two girls are out on a special training exercise, one of their own design, and there is someding very odd, and very wrong, at the Kir Drate base.

The two stood looking out over the  
massive battlefield which they had  
set out for their training mission, the  
pinnacle of their regiment. They  
would fight today, against two thousand  
combatants.  
Lokette hefted her canes  
high into the air, and raced down the  
rise and into the plain beyond, Kirae  
Fox close behind her.  
Then their opponents emerged from  
the other side.  
MISSION BEGIN!  
Swords, daggers, arrows, and  
other weapons blasted through the air,  
thrown by their wielders, aimed  
straight for the two lone humans.  
But, they missed, or were deflected  
from their own weapons.  
"YOU'VE put the difficulty  
pretty high, then?" Lokette  
Cooper asked, a smile flitting  
across her lips as she fought off the  
onslaught of blades.  
"Yep!"  
"That just means that they can fight without  
their weapons too," Lokette  
replied.  
"My point exactly, wouldn't  
have it any other way."  
This would be a challenge, Kirae  
thought. But, it was a challenge that she  
liked.  
Her legs churned as she raced  
forward, Lance glowing brightly in her  
hands. She leaped high into the air,  
and landed amongst the other combatants,  
hacking, and slashing at their ranks.  
Moments later, Lokette joined  
her, and the two felled many  
opponents together.  
As the waves fell back,  
momentarily, the two grouped up  
once more. Kirae could feel  
Energy flowing through her as the enemies  
charged once again, this time assaulting  
them with kicks, jabs, punches,  
and other unarmed combat tactics.  
Finally, it was down to a mere  
thirty against the two, and Kirae  
faced off against three, two of  
which fought with only broken arrows.  
This was complete chaos, Kirae  
thought, cackling in her mind.  
A quick swirling of and blade  
caught an attacker aiming  
to sneak up behind her, whom she'd  
caught just before he'd stuck a knife  
in her back.  
Meanwhile, Lokette held  
her ground steadily as warrior  
after warrior came to duel her,  
each one getting bashed aside by her  
attacks, then being replaced  
by another.  
Finally, it seemed the two had  
won, but only two combatants  
remained to face them.  
These combatants stood from  
crumpled heaps, and stared them down  
intensely.  
Kirae launched herself at one  
of the fighters, her blade swinging  
this way and that, but on the first attack,  
her opponent blocked, and the two  
were brought to an utter stand still.  
While she had not particularly  
wanted to do what she'd been tasked  
with, Bishop stood her ground as  
Jack worked.  
They had returned to his lab,  
his forge, with the task of creating more  
of the Cometline Copies as they were  
being called, while Kyren, and  
Kaylin went out to do some  
reconnaissance of their own.  
"Anything I can do for you?"  
Bishop asked, finally, stepping  
over to the man, who swung a hammer  
down, startling her.  
"Nothing, really," he  
responded, lifting the hammer.  
So, she resolved to return  
to the upper levels of the base, and  
see what help she could be up there.  
When she came to the surface,  
however, something was amiss.  
The halls were unusually quiet,  
and outside the building, she could  
hear something, familiar.  
When she came across a window which  
looked out over the main courtyard,  
she saw something horrible. A reddish  
substance was on the ground, tinting  
the lower walls, and a few of the first  
floor windows.  
Fresh blood.  
ROUND ONE, COMPLETE  
STAND BY FOR SECOND WAVE

Kirae Fox, and Lokette  
Cooper stood, back-to-back,  
their weapons ready for the fight.  
They had taken down the more  
stubborn fighters, and the fields  
were then quiet once more.  
Then, as the first wave of  
attackers had done, the second  
round of fighters swarmed them from all  
angles, atop the ^more hills.  
THIS was how it was for the next few  
rounds, fighting side by side,  
keeping from getting lost in the fray.  
And it seemed that they would win,  
eventually, if they stayed this way.  
But, that had changed by what seemed  
to be the final round, where they were  
confronted by a group of attackers that  
looked even more mean than their  
predecessors, with wicked daggers,  
and other serrated blades. One of them  
even held aloft, a giant sword  
wreathed in fire.  
"You put in Elementals?"  
Lokette asked, turning to face  
her.  
"I suppose so,"  
But, that was nothing to stop them in  
their challenge, and the two fought on.  
A ball of lightning flew through  
the air, followed by a stream of  
sparks, each attack aimed for  
Kirae. But, her agility did  
not let her down. The blade of  
Lance swung forward, and upward,  
deflecting the attacks.  
Lokette on the other hand  
swung one side of her canes  
forward, the other to the side,  
bludgeoning two of her opponents,  
then moved to defend herself against four  
more.  
It seemed that she was on a good  
streak as well, until she grew  
overwhelmed by enemies. Six  
fighters joined her initial four,  
one of them sweeping out a leg  
to knock her to the ground.  
Kirae was there almost immediately. Her  
blade slashed through one of the  
simulated fighters, and it crumbled  
into nothingness.  
After regrouping, and after Lokette  
gained her footing again, the two  
did not leave each others' sides,  
fighting back-to-back.  
Then, the final wave came,  
and the two only seemed exhausted.  
When in fact, they were just getting  
warmed up, determination flowing through  
their already weakened bodies.  
"We can do this!" Lokette  
encouraged her friend, slamming an  
end of her canes onto a fighter.  
THE unfortunate projection  
dropped to the ground, stunned, then  
faded away completely.  
"You all right?"  
"I'm fine. I can hold my  
own for a while."  
"Right, I'm going after the archers,  
and the Elementals." Kirae  
replied, and leaped into the air.  
She let Lance help her  
trajectory, and she landed atop a  
small rise, overlooking the  
battlefield.  
She stood in the midst of many  
of the enemies she sought to take out,  
and Lance was swinging before she even  
touched the ground.  
Two were felled by her first stroke,  
and several more went down after she  
made her entrance.  
"Who's first?" she asked,  
swinging the blade to one side.  
Then, they all charged at once.  
Below, in the center of the field,  
just as she had promised, Lokette  
was indeed holding her own against the  
hordes of spears that sought to take  
her down, the swords that were meant  
for her throat, and the clubs that missed  
her skull. Her own weapons were a  
blur to the normal eye, swinging  
this way and that, bashing one opponent  
after the other.  
She saw Kirae high up, hg  
sword sparking as it struck  
fighter after projected fighter.  
"We may just win this thing after  
all," Lokette thought as she leaped  
into the air, somersaulted, and landed  
on the ground once more to strike down  
the remaining blade wielders.  
As her opponents faded, she  
looked up to watch Kirae finish  
off her end of the battle.  
"I see you've seen our master's  
handiwork?" a woman's voice came  
to her from along the hall.  
Bishop gasped as she turned  
to find Reina Calligien, her  
complexion pale, standing at the far  
end of the corridor.  
She felt her mouth fall open  
as she saw the girl fully.  
Her hands were covered with a red  
substance, a substance she could only  
guess was the same blood as the  
blood on the window:  
"Don't worry, your friends got  
away before I could slaughter them.  
Or," REINA stepped forward, her  
eyes darting to first one side, then  
the other. "Most of them have."  
At this, Bishop snapped  
into action, acting before she could think.  
She found herself running at Reina,  
her weapon, a spear with an  
assortment of blades sprouting from  
the end, gripped tightly in her  
hand.  
"I would not have done that if I were  
you," Reina's voice was calm, and a  
simple gesture sent Bishop  
flying backwards, and into a wall.  
"Admit it," the girl came  
to stand over Bishop as she lay on the  
ground. "You, and your friends, are all  
doomed. Dead. Extinct. And you  
will remember this," her eyes seemed  
to glow a malevolent, evil  
black. "I was their killer."  
"W-What?"  
This brought a smile to her face,  
and made her laugh. "That's right."  
"But,"  
But, Reina did not let her  
finish, "NO, dear girl.  
Bishop, you lay back, and watch  
the show."  
She drew a sword from her  
belt, a sword that seemed to pull  
light into it, swallowing it whole.  
And Reina Calligien raised the  
sword high above her head, and  
lowered it to cut through her skull.  
Kirae's blade swung first  
one way, then the other, slashing  
downward, then acting like a first, and  
upper cutting, then slicing in a  
semi-circle. She had been  
fighting this arsenal of archers, and  
Elementals for almost ten minutes,  
and it seemed that her energy only  
grew.  
Finally, the men and women, the  
projected images of them, faded  
away, and Lokette Cooper  
ascended the hill, coming to her side.  
"Well, it seems we've  
done it," her friend said, sighing.  
"I guess we did it,"  
Kirae agreed smiling.  
But, a blast of smoke filled  
their vision. And when it cleared, they  
were standing before two final attackers.  
Themselves.  
The two clones looked almost  
exactly the same, except for a  
slight change: Their skin was  
transparent, and covered with shadow;.  
Kirae h recreated themselves as  
these clones in hopes of giving them  
a larger challenge, hopefully  
to help them prepare for the Demon  
who would eventually confront them,  
someday.  
But, the thing was: She had just about  
forgotten about the two clones.  
Kirae raised Lance, and her  
clone, wielding a simulated  
version of Alcatraz, did the  
same.  
"Here we go." She took a  
deep breath, and charged.  
FINAL BATTLE INITIATED  
BEGIN!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By far, I think, one of my longest chapters! I promise, in the future, I will try to make longer chapters.


End file.
